A Reach Across Time
by Raydias
Summary: STORY BEING REVISED: NEW PROLOGUE. 23 years ago Cali was taken from her home & her memories erased. Now, she has found her way back to Middle Earth and must find a way to regain her memories before she is used to bring the downfall of her home. LegolasOC
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

_Middle-Earth, year 2997_

_Misty Mountains, twenty miles south of Utumno ruins_

In the late hours of the morning, a small explosion shook the walls of the mountain canyon and a plume of green smoke billowed out of a small cave entrance at the bottom of the canyon. Soon after, a man rushed out coughing heavily. His entire body was covered in green soot from the smoke and his clothing was slightly tattered. He continued to cough a bit as he waited for the smoke to clear. Once the smoke had dissipated, the man ventured back into the cave in hopes of salvaging his work.

"Well damn," he muttered under his breath upon seeing the mess. The metal basin he had been using was now on the flooor with a large chunk missing from the side and the remnants of the table the basin had been sitting on were scattered about the floor. Wooden shelves that once lined all the walls of the cave were broken and splintered.

Sighing, the man grabbed a broom and began the process of cleaning up, deciding that one last pinch of rosemary may have been too much. He would try again in the morning; as long as he didn't have to make a trip into town for more supplies, that is.

A few weeks later found the man once more huddled over a boiling basin, every few seconds looking at an open book beside him. He was being extremely careful this time, double checking everything he did as to avoid another basin exploding in his face. Looking at the book again as he emptied a pinkish liquid from a clay cup into the basin, he studied the next step. The man then looked up and scanned the jars and such around him. Not seeing what he wanted, he walked over to a wall lined with several full shelves and searched them. Again not seeign what he wanted, the man sighed heavily and went to the next wall.

Hours later, the "lab" inside the cave was thoroughly disheveled. The man was now sitting on a wodden stool, staring at the basin with annoyance. He couldn't believe he didn't have the last ingredient; he had just bought one the other week. Suddenly, the sounds of small rocks falling caused the man to turn his head toward the entrance.

There, hanging upside down and starring at the man with curious green eyes, was an odd looking creature. A first glance, one would think that it was just an overgrown raccoon. But a closer look would show off it's long thin body, bushy tail, and skinny arms and legs with suctions on each of its fingers and toes. The creature was like a strange cross between a geko and a raccoon. And dangling from its mouth was a blue petaled flower with a bright red center.

The man held out his hand to the creature. "Give it here Tula," he demanded. Tula cocked her head to the side and chirped. "Tula," the man warned. Chirping again, Tula climbed down the wall to her master. She stuck out her neck and dropped the flower in to the man's waiting hand. "Thank you," he said right before smacking her lightly in the head. "Do NOT touch my lab! Now get out of here and go terrorize something." Chirping happily at the prospect of finding a new plaything, Tula jumped down to the ground and trotted out of sight. "Stupid animal," the man muttered.

Heading back into his lab, the man dropped the flower into a white, marble mortar and proceeded to grind it up. Once it was ground into a gooey mush, he mixed in a few drops of liquid milkweed, and scooped it into the basin. Just as he had hoped, the contects of the basin turned sliver. The man then picked up a knife and brought it toward his hand. He turned his head away as the blade slide against the tender flesh of his palm, blood swelled from the wound and dripped into the silvery liquid. He may be what the humans call a 'mad scientist', but he absolutely could not stand the sight of blood; especially his own.

After allowing a sufficient amount of the blood to drip from his palm, he bandaged his hand – while paling consierably upon seeing the gash in his hand – and pulled out a scrap of parchment from a pocket in his cloak. The parchment was covered with words from an ancient language long forgotten by the race of Men, Elf, and Dwarf alike since the ending of the first age. The air around him grew deathly still and cold as the words from the parchment fell from his lips. As each word was said, the liquid began to swirl faster and faster.

"Dal l' vlos d' dosst wanre lu' l' illingen d' dosst ogglinnar, ku'lam, Senger Melkor. Ku'lam lu' plynn elakar k'lar h'uena mzild wund l' thac'zil d'lil tupora."

As the liquid swirled, smoke rose from it's center and floated to an open space in the cave where it slowly began to form the shape of a man. Several long minutes later, a man stood where the smoke had once been swirling. He was well above six feet tall with black hair that flowed past his shoulders, and eyes of warm gold. A lean, well muscled body, broad shoulers, and high cheek bones easily showed the man's good breeding. He wore nothing except for loose black pants and a black tunic.

The other man at the basin hurridly dropped to his knees. "My Lord Melkor," he said. "Welcome back."

Melkor looked at the man kneeling before him, then gazed about his surroundings. "Yes," he agreed with a velvetly smooth voice that could make even the coldest of women swoon. "It is good to be back. Though I would have preferred to be brought back in more, 'comfortable' surroundings, I suppose this will do." Melkor strided over to the man on his knees and rolled his eyes. "Get up, Dolvon. We have work to do." He then reached out to pick up the book beside the basin only to have his hand pass straight through it. Melkor sighed heavily. "Make that **you** have work to do, Dolvon."

"Of course, my Lord," said Dolvon, scrambling to his feet and pickingup the book Melkor had attempted to touch. His hovered for a minute over the open book before a light came on behind his eyes and he turned to a page near the back of the book. Not taking his eyes off the page, Dolvon grabbed a handful of herbs from a nearby bowl and sprinkled them across the now green liquid. A puff a green smoke emitted from the basin but it was ignored. "My Lord?" he asked looking up from the book.

"What it is?" Melkor answered, not turning around from examining the shelves.

"Are you sure this is the girl you want to use?" Dolvon held up a small sketching of a female Elf.

Melkor turned around and walked over to Dolvon, snatching the picture from his hand. He examined the picture, and small smile escaping his lips. She was exactly how he imagined…exactly how **she **had looked. _Kari_, he said in his mind. Kari, a female Elf, had been his lover before he was banished into limbo by his brother. But now he could have her back, and get back at everyone who betrayed him. Granted this girl was not Kari, but she was a carbon copy when it came to looks. He would have her, and if she did not like it, well, then that was tough. She had no choice. Melkor handed the picture back to Dolvon. "Yes," he said. "That is the girl. Are you questioning my reasons?"

"Of course not, my Lord! It is just that I have actually heard stories about her. She is not like the other Elves. They say she is a fighter and somewhat of a rebel. I just want to make sure that my Lord is prepared to….deal with her." Dolvon said the last part tentatively. But what he said was true. That particular Elf was known for causing all sorts of trouble, and he was certain that his Lord was expecting to deal with a girl who was quiet and submissive, which this girl could not be.

Dolvon had had only one encouter with her many years ago when he was searching for the girl his Lord had told him of. He had been wondering through the Lothlorien forest when his feet were suddenly swept underneath him and Dolvon soon found himself hanging upside down from a rope attached to his right foot. He had been hanging not longer than a few seconds when a figure dropped down from a nearby tree. It was an Elf, and double-take informed that it was a female. She wore light brown breaches tucked into soft, brown leather knee-high boots, and a sleeveless light green tunic. Her brown hair was pulled away from her face and her hazel eyes were accented by a green power over her eyelids. She walked over to where Dolvon was hanging and stared at him. She then brought back her fist and punched him. Dolvon was not sure how long he had been unconcious, but when he awoke, his shirt was missing and the words "Elf Toy" were painted on his stomach. As soon as Dolvon had returned to his cave, he sketched the picture of the female Elf and knew that this was her. This was the one his Lord wanted.

Dolvon snapped out of his reverie and immediately went back to work. As the minutes ticked by, he was sure that Lord Melkor was getting impatient, judging by the vigorous pacing that his Lord was doing. A half-hour had passed when suddenly Melkor walked straight up to Dolvon ignoring the fact that he was now standing in the middle of the bubbling basin.

"How long is this going to take!" yelled Melkor.

"Please my Lord, have patience. It is almost finished."

"I want this to have been done yesterday!"

Dolvon pursed his lips and sighed. "Have patience my Lord. Have patience." _For someone who was such a powerful being, he ceratinly is impatient,_ he thought to himself. _And does he realize that he is not in the least a bit threatening, seeing as he cannot even touch anything?_ Finally adding the last ingredient, a few hairs from a Nazgul, Dolvon stepped back and wiped his brow and watched as the potion started to glow. Within the glow, an image of an Elven maiden with long brown hair and hazel eyes appeared. She was laughing as she ran through a forest apparently being chased by something or someone. But suddenly, another image appeared next to hers. It was an image of a male Elf with blonde hair and blue eyes. His eyes narrowed in concentration as he shot arrows one after another into a target. The two images slowly merged together until the faces of the two Elves lay next to another and a ring of white light encircled them. The light grew till it lit up the entire cavern and disappeared along with the images.

Raising an eyebrow in confusion, Dolvon looked at Melkor. "My Lord, what just happened?"

Seething in anger, Melkor swiped his arm at the basin. But as it went harmlessly through it, it only fueled his anger. "Damnit!" he yelled.

"My Lord, what…."

"That white ring. Do you know what it meant?"

"No, I…"

"It signifies a bond!"

"A bond?"

"Yes!" yelled Melkor who began pacing furiously. "It means that that girl and boy's souls are bonded! So how the hell am I supposed get her to willing come to me and be mine, when she is bonded! And nothing short of death can break a bond!" At that Melkor suddenly stopped pacing. "Death…" he murmered. Suddenly his eyes lit up and he cried out, "Dolvon! We must kill the boy and somehow convince whatever fates control those damnable bonds that the girl is dead also, but without actually killing her."

"But my Lord…how are we to do that?" asked Dolvon. _I think my Lord spent a little too much time in Limbo. For I believe that it may have altered his common sense. Surely he must know that this will more than likely backfire on us. Things like this always do._

Melkor was scanning the books lining one of the shelves, a plan forming in his mind. He indicated one to Dolvon. "There is a spell," he said. "That can send someone through time," he pointed to a page number, "and then a spell to bring them back. It is perfect. We shall kill the boy, then send the girl through time, leaving her there long enough to make the fates think she is dead, then bring her back here. And at that point we will use her to bring me back fully to the physical plane and she shall be mine and we shall rule over all of Middle-Earth."

_Yes,_ thought Dolvon. _My Lord has lost his mind. Methinks it may have been a bad idea to bring him back. Though leaving my Lord as he is should not bring any harm. Just as long as he does not develop any of his powers anyway. So it may be wise to go along with this plan until I can get everything sorted out. sigh I knew I should have stayed with the Healer training._ Shaking his head slightly enough that Melkor could not notice, Dolvon proceeded to gather the ingredients for the spell. The girl was going to kill him if she ever found out who did this to her.

* * *

_Lothlorien_

A frustrated scream rang through the forest and echoed off the trees. In an Elven city, buried deep in the woods, a young Elf maiden stood in front of a mirror scowling as she gazed at her appearance. She was wearing a deep blue gown with silver embroidery around the edges. A sash – a slightly lighter shade than the blue of her gown – was tied around her thin waist, accenting her curves. The sleeves were long and flowing, belling out from her elbows. Her brown hair was done up in an elegant bun with small tendrils of hair framing her face. Around her neck, the maiden wore a white stone pendant with her family crest and her name in the high Elvish language and the tongue of men.

At the sound of her scream three older male Elves, two with blonde hair and one with blonde/brown hair, came running to her room. They were all dressed the same. Black boots over gray pants and a long-sleeved blue tunic under a sleeveless darker blue tunic. They all wore the same sash around their waist as the girl, only their sash was shorter, and also wore the same pendant but with their names. The eldest of the three Elves strode quickly up to the female. "What is wrong? Are you alright, _seler_ (sister)?"

The girl growled and folded her arms across her chest, looked away, then spread her arms out for the Elven men to see. "Look at what they are making me wear!"

Her brother chuckled and smiled at his younger sister. "It is a lovely gown. Do you not like the color?"

Her arms fell to her sides. "_Toron_ (brother), it is a dress. They are making me wear a dress!" She refolded her arms across her chest and sat heavily in a nearby chair.

One of the other males walked up next to the girl's brother. "_Seler_, you know very well that you cannot show up looking like you usually do."

"And why not! The Lord and Lady see me like that everyday and they do not have a problem with it!"

The third male spoke up this time. "This is a formal occasion. Representatives from the other Elven kingdoms will be there and the Lady has requested our family's attendance. You have to wear the dress."

"No! I hate dresses!" The female Elf stood and walked to one of the windows with her back facing her brothers.

The eldest brother turned to his other siblings and motioned to them. "It looks as if we will have to drag her. On the count of three, we will grab her. You two take her feet and I will take her arms." Just as they were to apprehend their sister, she held up a hand.

"Do not, even think about it. I know what you were going to do." She faced them, her face expressionless but smug. "I will make you a deal. I will go along quietly and be a good girl, IF, you guys take me with you on patrol tomorrow. Take it or leave it. But remember if you do not take me, then you will have me fighting and screaming all the way to the banquet hall."

The three brothers looked at each other and after a few minutes nodded their consent. The girl smiled in triumph and walked past them out the door of her bedroom. The Elf with the darker blonde hair looked at the others and said under his breath, "The patrol will have to be a short one. A really short one. Mother and Father would kill us if anything happened to her." The others nodded and quickly followed their sister out of the flet and down the stairs.

Soon, the four siblings were on their way to the banquet hall of their Lord and Lady. As the girl walked, she began to feel a bit light-headed. Rubbing one of her temples, the feeling went away but came back a short minute with full force. She then felt a pull in the back of her mind, like she had forgotten something. The Elf continued to walk so she wouldn't alert her brothers, all the while trying to shake off the emptiness she felt. She could not understand why it was happening. She also began to feel tired as if something was draining her energy. One of her brothers caught her as she stumbled on a small tree root. Then before she could register what happened, all her energy left her and she collapsed to the ground.

The eldest brother cried out as he watched his sister fall to the ground. "_Seler_!" He kneeled next to her, taking her hand in his. "Are you alright? What is happening?"

She shook her head. "I-I do not know," she replied. "I feel like something or someone is draining all my energy. I'm so tired." Her eyes began to close, but her brother shook her shoulders to keep her conscious.

"No! You must stay awake!" He looked at his other siblings. "Go! Go get help!" They nodded and ran down the path. The Elf gazed down at his sister to see her skin paling and could tell she was beginning to lose consciousness. "No, _seler_. You must stay awake," he whispered. As he held her, he soon could no longer feel the weight of her hand in his. He looked down to see her body fading; his eyes widened in fear.

She was so tired. She turned her head to look at her brother who was saying something, but she couldn't hear him. What was happening to her! Gazing down at her hand, she found herself fading. Fading to where, she did not know. Looking again at her brother, she gave him a reassuring smile. "Do not worry, _toron_. I will find a way home. I love you all." With that she closed her eyes and lost consciousness.

Her brother cried out in grief as he watched his little sister fade away to nothing. She was gone. He pounded his fist into the ground, tears streaming down his face. "NO! No," he whispered. The blonde haired Elf looked to the sky. "Find your way home, little _seler_. Find your way home."

* * *

_Mirkwood Forest_

A young blonde, blue-eyed Elf sat perched in a tree as he quietly watched his target. Three orcs scanned the wooded area around them, obviously searching for him. They had already attempted to take his head off while he was foraging for some berries to satiate the noises his stomach had been making at him for the last several hours.

Five quick minutes later, three very dead orcs lay on the ground. The Elf jumped down from the tree and trotted away quickly, not wanting to be there when the spiders found the bodies. The idea of facing the darkness of the forest on his own made him terribly nervous, espeically in these dark times. But what made him even more nervous, was the emptiness that had begun growing in him a days ago, before the orcs came. It was like a piece of him was missing, and he did not like it.

* * *

**A/N:** I hope you all enjoyed this new prologue. I personally like it much better than the first one. But if there is something that seems off about it, just let me know and I'll see what can be done to fix it. Read and review please!

Raydias


	2. Two worlds, one wish

**  
  
Chapter one: Two worlds, one wish**

_"When the evening falls and the daylight is fading,  
From within me calls - could it be I am sleeping?  
For a moment I stray, then it holds me completely.  
Close to home - I cannot say.  
Close to home feeling so far away.  
  
As I walk there before me a shadow  
From another world, where no other can follow.  
Carry me to my own, to where I can cross over...  
Close to home - I cannot say.  
Close to home feeling so far away.  
  
Forever searching; never right,_

_I am lost in oceans of night._

_Forever hoping I can find memories.  
Those memories I left behind.  
  
Even though I leave will I go on believing  
That this time is real - am I lost in this feeling?  
Like a child passing through, never knowing the reason.  
I am home - I know the way.  
I am home - feeling oh, so far away..."_

The last note hung in the air as a small smile graced her lips and the wind gently blew her hair to the side. She reached up and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, attempting to tame it. The young woman gazed out into the horizon watching as the sun slowly slipped behind the hills, turning the sky a brilliant orange and pink. She gazed down from her spot on the roof of her home to the forest, which seemed to spread out endlessly. _'The Áruinn,'_ she thought. _'It looks so inviting right now. I hope no one will notice I'm gone if I leave now before anyone sees me.'_ She stood and breathed in the warm and sweet smelling air. _'I wonder how fast I can sneak down to the stables.'_ Suddenly, a female's voice rang through the air, disturbing the young woman's reverie. _'Nope, guess not.'_

"Calithradë! Come down from there right now! You could fall and hurt yourself." It was her mother, Adrian. Her mother was a fairly thin woman, but she was short. She only reached a height of 5'3. Her hair was a bright red color, short - stopping at her chin - and very curly. Adrian also had dark brown eyes with freckles speckling her face and arms.

"Coming, mum!" Calithradë, although preferring the name Cali, called back. Cali walked across the roof to a large oak tree that was growing next to it. Coming to the edge of the roof, she stepped onto a nearby branch. Gathering her wits she jumped, falling to a lower branch and catching it, abruptly stopping her decent. After adjusting her grip on the branch, Cali released it and let herself fall to the ground, landing soundlessly on her feet. Her mother rushed over to her, enveloping her in a hug. She then shook Cali, scolding her.

"Don't you **ever** do that! You scared me to death. Just think what your father would say right now if he saw you jumping through the trees like that!?" Adrian hugged her daughter again, and began to drag her towards the house. "Come now. The Jensons are here for dinner. Remember to be on your best behavior, Calithradë. They are planning to sign the merger with your father's company and we don't want anything to go wrong tonight! Alright?" Cali nodded, remembering that merging with Mr. Jenson's company could mean more money for both their companies. "Good, now go change. I don't want them to see you dressed like this. Go on now! I have work to do."

Cali watched her mother walk quickly back to the house, then looked down at her clothing. She liked how she looked. Cali at the moment was wearing a dark brown peasant shirt that hung off her shoulders and belled out at the sleeves. Over that she wore a black leather vest, which laced up in the front over her chest and fell down to her ankles with a slit in the back for easy movement. She wore black leggings that showed off the slight appearance of muscle in her legs, and black knee high boots. Around her neck, she wore a thin silver chain with a pendant on the end. The pendant was a small, flat, white stone. On it was a type of crest and some kind of writing, along with her name in English. She'd had it for as long as she could remember. As Cali walked slowly back to the house, her mother stuck her head out through the doorway.

"Oh, before I forget Cali! Don't forget to cover your ears! We can't have the Jensons seeing them, now can we!?" With that, her mother went back inside to finish her hustle and bustle in the kitchen.

Not surprised but undeniably hurt and offended, Cali pushed the rest of her hair behind her ears. As she passed a window, she looked into her reflection. Her ears were the most unusual part of her features; they were pointed like an Elf's from a fairy tale. She had always thought that maybe she got them from one of her parents; her real parents that is. From the time she could understand the meaning of it, Cali had known she was adopted. It didn't take much time of staring at her ears or studying her pendant to figure it out. She just wasn't like the others in the village. Her senses were more sensitive and she felt things deeper than others did. Not to mention that she looked nothing like her parents.

When Cali was younger, she and her parents used to live in the village. It was there at a young age Cali learned it was best to keep to herself and to always have her ears covered, least one of the other children saw a opportunity to mock her. For her first few years of school, Cali only sat back and took the taunting and occasional physical beatings from the older children. Soon at the age of nine she begged her parents to allow her to take some martial arts classes. They agreed thinking it would be a way for Cali to finally make some friends. She advanced through the classes quickly but was removed from the class when she started a fight with one of the other students after he had insulted her. Unfortunately as Cali grew older, the bullying continued. Cali decided to take the problem into her own hands.

It was her freshman year of high school. Cali had been sitting under some trees reading in one of her Irish myth books when a group of guys walked up to her. The majority of the group consisted of guys from the football team and some of the popular guys from around campus. They walked up to her and began their usual light teasing before moving on to the insults. It was when Paul, the most popular male in school and star of the football team, made the critical mistake of calling Cali a freak with parents who obviously didn't want her. Less than thirty minutes later, Paul was sent to the hospital to get stitches. (Cali smiled, silently reminiscing the sound made when her fist connected with the boy's nose. It was a nice crunching sound; too bad it didn't break though.) Unfortunately, Cali had then been suspended for the next two weeks.

After the incident Cali's parents decided it would be best to move to where they were now. Amazingly enough, even with all the trouble Cali got herself into, she still made some friends who were always by her side and helped her through the more trying times in her life. She had met them shortly after the 'Paul incident' – as Cali had named it. Two of Paul's friends wanted revenge for what she did. Cali temporarily took out one of them and was about to take on the other when four girls her age came up to her and held her back. They claimed Cali shouldn't waste her energy on them; they weren't worth the effort. She had already proven herself to the rest of the students at the school and the didn't think her parents would be happy at the thought of Cali being suspended again, or worse, expelled.

The girls introduced themselves as Sida, Leanna, Cora, and Jenae. Of course Cali told them that she didn't need their help nor their friendship, but the four girls persisted and Cali was eventually won over. Afterwards, whenever Cali was in the village the girls were hardly separated. At the end of their senior year in high school, they all graduated with high honors, each having earned several scholarships. Cali could never ask for better friends.

Cali ran a hand through her hair and sighed; even though her friends made life bearable, she wished she lived some place other than here. A place where she would be accepted and there were others like her. Sure Cali liked some of the people here, but so many of them wouldn't let their children even near Cali. She had inquired once as to the reason of their dislike of her; they didn't give a reason, only turned their backs and walked away. At one time, Cali did manage to pry a reason from one of the mothers. The mother said it was just a feeling they all had. Even if she didn't have the Elf-like ears, Cali was still considered odd. She purposely avoided people and regularly spent all day in the forest talking to the animals and plants, playing her flute from atop the roof, tinkering with her computer equipment, or practicing a few fighting skills.

By now Cali had reached the top of the stairs of her home and turned left down the hall to a door at the end of the hallway. She opened the door revealing another flight of stairs leading upwards. She quickly jogged up the stairs, passing by pictures she had painted and bought, soon reaching another door at the end of them. Cali then stopped and studied the door a moment before going through. When she was about eleven years old, Cali had begged her father to engrave the door like the Celtic ones she had seen in pictures. So now it was covered with symbols and figures, looking like the entrance to a Celtic princess's chambers. She smiled to herself and swung open the door to her room.

Cali's room was basically the entire attic converted into a room. It was fairly large, since it covered the entire span of the house. She had several skylights in the ceiling, and windows everywhere allowing the natural light of the sun and moon to filter in. There was an especially large one at one end of the room, which over-looked the forest and hills behind the house. Her bed was near it and covered with a dark green coverlet and white silk sheets. Now the ceiling was slanted and came to a point in the middle. From the middle, Cali had many plants hanging across the ceiling. Along with the plants, she had several other plotted plants in the corners and lining the walls of her room, many of which were small trees. At one corner of the room was her own bathroom, a smaller room that jutted out from the corner. Against the wall near her bed, was a desk with a computer system where she spent some of her time tinkering around. Her walls were a soft swirl of green and brown, painted to make one feel like they were outdoors.

Cali walked slowly over to her large bed and sat on the edge, thinking about this evening. She didn't want to have to go down there. She didn't want to have to deal with Neil, the Jenson's oldest son, who for some reason had a crush on her. She still could not understand why. She had broken his nose once, and he still insisted on pursuing her. '_Oh, c'est la vie. I might as well change into something more to my parents' liking, even though I still don't see why I cannot wear this. It's perfectly fine.'_ Cali shrugged, to herself and headed to her closet. After looking through for a few minutes, she chose a light blue poet's shirt, a shorter gray lace-up vest, and a pair of flared black jeans. She slipped some tennis shoes on, and got to work on her hair.

Some minutes later, Cali gazed at herself in her full-length mirror. At the age of 20, she was 5'7 and fairly lean. Her eyes were a combination of gray and blue, which either turned darker or lighter depending on her mood. Her hair was a light brown with an almost golden tint to it and fell to just below her shoulder blades. She pulled her hair back loosely (as to cover her ears efficiently), leaving a few strands to fall on either side of her face, and tied it with a strip of brown velvet. Giving herself one last look-over, Cali walked out of her room, and headed downstairs to the dinning room where she was sure everyone else was waiting. _'I hope I can get out of there quickly,' _she thought as she stepped off the last step of the main stairway.

She entered the dining room to find her parents and the Jensons already sitting at the table. Cali smiled politely as she sat herself between her mother and the Jenson's son, Neil. She sat straight in her chair waited for her father to serve himself before placing small amount of food on her plate. While they ate, Cali could feel everyone's eyes on her; it was uncomfortable and Cali was quickly becoming annoyed. She raised her gaze to Neil, who in return smiled at her pleasantly; she rolled her eyes. A dull pain erupted on her left side, below her ribs. Adrian had jabbed her with her elbow. Cali looked at her mother with narrowed eyes.

"What?" she hissed under her breath.

"Be nice," her mother replied.

Cali rolled her eyes and sighed deeply. "I am. I know very well just how important this meeting is to Dad; it could easily decide the future of his company. Don't worry, I won't jeopardize it." Cali then stood and looked at the others sitting around the table. "If you would all excuse me, I'm going to go into the living room. I'm not that hungry." With that said she left the dinning room, her Siberian Husky, Verndari, following closely at her heels. In the living room she walked to a bookcase and pulled out a thick book named, "Ruins of Ancient Ireland". Settling herself onto the floor with Verndari laying next to her, Cali began to read.

It wasn't until an hour or so later when the others finished with their dinner and entered the living room. Cali ignored them as they seated themselves and began to chat with one another. Neil however, tried once more to acquire himself a date with Cali the next evening. Tuning out everything she could, Cali concentrated on her book, where at the moment she was reading about 'Glastonbury'.

_"The ancient Celtic name for the Tor was Ynys Witrin,"_ she read to herself, _" 'Island of Glass.' Another Celtic name was Caer Wydyr, 'Fort of Glass,' which is also the third name for the Celtic Otherworld. Surrounded mostly by water, a defensive wall known as Ponter's Ball was erected to the East and protected Glastonbury from the mainland. A bridge, known as the Pomparles or as Perilous Bridge, was the only dry access point to the south. Pomparles is thought to be the place where Bedwyr, from the Arthurian legend, returned the sword Excalibur to the Lady Of The Lake after the Battle of Camlann. In Celtic legends, Avalon was the Otherworld home of the underworld god, Afallach. Both the names Avalon and Afallach refer to apples, apples that once grew in Glastonbury. Being an Otherworld sacred site, Glastonbury would be the site where a Celtic king would be sent when near or at death. Such was the case of King Arthur when he was sent to Avalon after his final battle-"_

"Calithradë, are you listening?!" Cali jumped when she heard her name. She looked at her father, who was looking at her expectantly.

"What?" she asked, looking around the room. Everyone was staring at her.

Her father sighed and shook his head. "Mrs. Jenson asked you a question, Cali."

"Oh, sorry." She turned to Mrs. Jenson. "What were you asking?"

"I asked what you were reading to get you so engrossed into your book?" she asked with a slight distaste to her voice.

Cali narrowed her eyes and sat a bit straighter. "It's a book on ancient Celtic ruins." The older woman eyed Cali, silently demanding her for more information. She sighed. "I find it to be a very interesting subject and hope to major in Celtic ruins and an old Celtic language when I start college this fall."

"Oh," stated Mr. Jenson. "And where do you plan on going?"

"I have already been accepted to the University of Dublin, Ireland. I also have earned several scholarships, so my tuition is almost entirely paid for." She closed her book and stood and spoke with a hint of annoyance in her voice said, "Now if you will excuse me, I think I will go outside for some fresh air This room had suddenly become very stuffy." Cali turned to exit the room when her mother called out her name.

"Cali, wait! The Jensons are accompanying us to the village fair tomorrow, are you going to come as well?"

Neil nodded and smiled sweetly. "Yes Cali, will you do us the honor of brightening our day with your lovely presence?" Cali groaned inwardly. She could almost see the sickly sweet sarcasm dripping from his voice.

"I'll think about," she said curtly and quickly left the room. She practically ran out the front door and to the gardens where she hoped she would have some peace. Cali entered the gardens and sighed heavily with relief. Sitting on a stone bench she leaned back and gazed up at the sky. The sun had almost finished setting, the sky now a deep purple and blue. There were no stars yet, but the night was clear. Cali brought her gaze down and looked about the garden. It was an amazing sight. Since her mother was an avid gardener, nearly every flower that could be grown in the area could be seen here. There were fishponds, stone statues, and benches scattered everywhere; it was like a garden out of a fairy tale.

But Adrian's pride and joy was in what she called the _Dreamscape_. It was like a small island, on the inside at least, surrounded by a stonewall covered in ivy and a tiny moat inside. The entrance to the _Dreamscape_ was through an old wooden door Cali's father found at an antiques shop. Cali loved it on sight and had tried to convince her father to replace her bedroom door with it; he declined saying it was too heavy to carry up all those stairs. So Adrian had him set it up outside. Now inside the _Dreamscape_ was a short bridge so one could walk over the 'moat'. The moat was in actuality a pond that circled the entire area. Beyond the moat was a gravel path creating a large loop with sometimes-smaller paths leading away from it. The was a fountain in the middle – a few horses were rearing on the top – with flowers and small bushes surrounding it. Off to one side near the back was a gazebo with a one of those swinging benches hanging from the middle of it. When Adrian set it up, she claimed it would be the perfect place to cuddle with someone and was placed in such a way that one would be able to watch either the sunrise or sunset.

Cali's thoughts were suddenly brought back to her as she felt a hand being laid on her shoulder. She looked up to see Neil standing next to her. Her eye's widened as he sat next to her. – Now it wasn't to say that Neil was not good looking. He towered at a height of six feet and sported short, dusty blonde hair and eyes like melted chocolate; not to mention he was also nicely muscled. – Cali gazed around and tried to figure the best way to escape. She jumped when he said her name.

"Cali, are you alright? You seemed unhappy and a bit distressed during dinner and in the living room. What's wrong?" Cali looked at him and narrowed her eyes. Sweeping his hand off her shoulder she stood.

"Nothing's wrong with me Neil. And I would appreciate it if you would leave me alone for once. I'm getting tired of your attempts to seduce me."

"Cali, I'm not…"

Cali help up a hand to silence him. She turned and looked him in the eye. "Don't. Just don't. I'm not in the mood for much of anything, okay?" Seeing Cali was not going to listen to him Neil relented and stood, his tall frame towering over Cali's. She flinched when he laid his hand back on her shoulder.

"Alright, but let me just say this. You intrigue me, and I think you are one of the most beautiful people I've ever seen. You're smart and aren't afraid to let others know what you think. If it truly annoys you to have me around you, then I'll back off. But at least give me a chance." Cali lowered her gaze to the ground. Neil sighed and removed his hand. "Maybe I'll see at the fair tomorrow then?" When Cali didn't answer, he sighed again and went back inside the house.

Cali looked up after him. _'Since when did he become so nice? I've never seen him act like that before. Strange,'_ she thought to herself. Standing there for a few moments longer Cali shook her head and went inside.

* * *

Laughter rang through the trees as two young Elves raced along a path leading to an enormous tree in the center of the courtyard. The first skidded to a stop as he reached the tree and leaned against it to catch his breath. He looked over his shoulder to see the other slow down, and heavily sit on the ground, breathing hard. The first laughed, "You are getting slow, Déorwin!"

Déorwin, an Elf with dark brown hair and light green eyes, glared at his friend. "Right, whatever you say Legolas. I would have beaten you if you had not pushed me into that bush!"

Legolas continued to laugh and shook his head, his long blonde hair swinging behind him. "Sure you would have, my friend, sure you would have," he replied sarcastically. The blonde Elf helped his friend stand, and the two walked side by side up the steps into the palace.

Suddenly, Déorwin grabbed Legolas's shoulder and stopped him. He grinned. "Hey Legolas, you hungry?"

Legolas smirked, laughter dancing through his bright blue eyes. "Race you to the kitchens?"

The other Elf continued to grin. "You're on!" The two got in running positions. "Go!" Déorwin yelled out, and they set off at a sprint toward the palace kitchens to see what food they could get off the cooks before the evening meal.

They raced through the halls, dodging servants and once almost crashing into a door someone had suddenly opened. Soon, Legolas and Déorwin skidded to a halt in front of the kitchen entrance. Legolas knocked on the door, and waited patiently for it to open. Suddenly, the door swung open to reveal a shorter Elfish woman. She looked up at the two young Elf males and narrowed her eyes. "And what may I do for the two of you?" she asked.

The blonde Elf smiled sweetly and replied, "We have just come looking for a bit of food." He face fell slightly when the she shook her head.

"Nothing doing, Prince Legolas. Your evening meal will be served in a few hours. You can wait till then. Now, go! I have work to finish." With that, the Elfish woman closed the door. They could hear her grumbling on the other side.

Déorwin looked to his friend expectantly. "Now what?" he asked. Legolas shrugged. Before he could answer, the door reopened to reveal a younger female Elf with bright red hair.

She handed them two goblets of water and a loaf of _lereth_. "Here," she said. "I grabbed them when Aria was not looking. It should keep you until the evening meal." The males Elves thanked her and walked away happily munching on their food.

Several minutes later, Legolas and Déorwin were found lounging on one of the balconies in the main hall. Each had a glass of water in his hand and several slices of _lereth_ (Elfish bread) lying on their laps. "I can not believe the cooks gave us such a hard time. All we wanted was a little food to snack on," grumbled Legolas.

Déorwin grinned at his companion. "Well, at least we got the food in the end." Legolas nodded, taking a sip of his water. Suddenly, one of King Thranduil's attendants approached the two men.

The attendant bowed to Legolas. "_Vedui'_ (Greetings), Prince Legolas. Your father sent me to remind you of the upcoming festival in Rivendell. He said-"

"He said, that you had better make sure that you are there or you shall be the one to escort Lady Halia to the Spring Gathering in two months," a new voice cut in. Legolas looked up to see his father standing there, sporting the same blonde hair and the same blue eyes.

The color drained from his face. "Escort Lady Halia?" he stammered. "But father-"

"NO buts, Legolas. You have to go. As Prince of Mirkwood you are required to be in attendance. Besides, I'm sure that your friend, Aragorn, would be pleased to see you again." Legolas opened his mouth to say something, but his father cut him off. "You're going, and that's final. I will see you in two hours for dinner. _Tenna' san', utinuamin_ (Until then, my son)." With that, King Thranduil turned and left the room, his attendant trailing behind him.

Legolas watched his father's retreating back. "I am doomed," he whispered. "I wonder what is worse, escorting Lady Halia to the Spring Gathering, or having to mingle with at least a hundred females fawning for your attention." He leaned his head against the wall and sighed. Legolas turned his head to look at Déorwin. "What do you think, _mellonamin_ (my friend)?"

Déorwin chuckled. "I think you would be better off going to the festival. I am sure it would be easier deal with several females for a week, than have to deal with Lady Halia by herself for one day."

Legolas nodded in agreement. "Alright then. But you are coming with me. If I have to suffer, then so do you." The Elf prince stood his back to his friend. "I will see you in a few hours." He walked swiftly out of the room, and headed to the gardens to have some time to himself.

The other Elf just stared at the Prince's retreating back. "Hey, Legolas! What do you mean I have to go? Legolas!" He ran after his friend in attempt to find his meaning.

Later that evening, Legolas sat quietly with his parents, Déorwin, and some other noble families in the dinning hall. He listened halfheartedly to the various conversations echoing throughout the room. His father and the other men were talking of the best way to rid their forests of the orcs, and his mother and other women were conversing about the festival in Rivendell. Legolas, however, was trying to think about how he would rather be reading a book in the gardens, riding his horse through the woods, or practicing his fighting. He suddenly snapped out of his daydream when his mother, Lisandrei, laid a hand on his arm.

"Oh Legolas, you are going to the festival, are you not?" She smiled at him pleadingly.

"_Uma Naneth_ (Yes mother), I am," he replied taking a sip of his wine.

"I am glad. Now, you are going to promise me that you will start looking for a life mate? There will be plenty of pretty girls to choose from."

Legolas nearly choked on his drink. "_Naneth_!"

Lisandrei frowned. "Now Legolas, you are nearly two and a half thousand years old. It is time that you find a mate and settle down. I do not want to see you be lonely your entire life."

Her son shook his head. "Mother, I am perfectly fine with my living status. If I feel the need to find a bride, then I will. Though, I seriously doubt that I will find the girl of my dreams at the festival, much less fall in love within a few days of meeting her."

King Thranduil then spoke up, agreeing with his wife. "I agree with your mother, Legolas. You need to settle down sooner or later. It will not be long before your mother and I travel to the Undying Lands, and we want you to be settled with a wife for when you take my place as King."

Legolas rolled his eyes. "I still do not see why I have to take your place. Why can not Shálen or Arlen do it! They are older than I. Should not the right of being King go to the Eldest?"

"This is because your brothers flat out refused to take my place the moment they understood what I was talking about. My last hope is with you."

Legolas stared down at his plate, thinking. He knew that his parents would be heading to the Undying Lands within two or three decades, but he really did not want to be King. If it was anything like what Aragorn goes through on a daily basis, then Legolas did not want anything to do with it. Although he knew that he must obey his father's wishes and honor his memory for when he was gone. Legolas then thought about what his parents had said concerning his finding a wife. On one hand, it would be nice to settle down with someone he could live the rest of his life with. But sometimes the female Elves could be so – helpless, all they wanted to do was sit around and chat. He wanted a girl with a mind of her own, who enjoyed racing through the woods on horseback, who would accompany him on one of his many journeys, or just sit in the tops of trees soaking the beauty of their surroundings. Legolas wasn't sure he would ever find someone like that. He closed his eyes, and sighed.

The Elf Prince stood and faced his parents. "I will think about it mother. Now if you will excuse me, I think I will retire for the night. _Quel du, il'er_ (good night, everyone)." Legolas kissed his mother on her cheek. "_Tenna' tul're_ (until tomorrow), mother." He then strode out of the dining hall, and made his way to his chambers.

* * *

Cali sat on the roof above her room watching the moonrise in the darkened sky. She sighed and pulled the thick quilt around her. She drew her knees up to her chest, and laid her head on them. The Jensons hadn't gone home until just an hour ago. Her father had come up to talk to her, obviously to ask why she had been so curt with their guests. _'As if he didn't know'_, she thought. _'What comes around goes around.'_ Cali then looked up to see a bright star flickering in the sky. _'Might as well make a wish.'_

"Star light, star bright. First star I see tonight. I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish, I wish tonight." She took a deep breath and cleared her mind. "I wish that I could find someone who would love me for just who I was …. and for what I am. My soul mate."

* * *

Somewhere, in the world called Middle-Earth, another was gazing up at the sky.

Legolas, the Prince of Mirkwood, stood on the balcony of his chambers which overlooked one of the great and many forests in their realm. He sighed and thought about what his parents had said earlier that evening. Maybe he should find someone and settle down. The young Elf looked to the sky, the rays of the moon illuminating his Elfish features. In the corner of his eye, he noticed a bright star flickering.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I wish I could find a girl whom I could love until the end of time. My soul mate," he whispered into the wind.

* * *

Somewhere in the darkness, a voice whispered, "Wishes granted."


	3. Wishes granted

**  
  
Chapter two: Wishes granted**

Cali awoke the next morning to a pounding on her door. She threw back the covers and walked swiftly to the door. She unlatched the lock and opened the door to reveal her friends from the village. They were all dressed in peasant's clothing. Cali ran a hand through her hair, attempting to tame it and asked, "Hey, what are you guys doing here?"

The four females standing there, Leanna, Sida, Jenae, and Cora, all rushed into Cali's room. The tallest was Leanna at 5'9. She had straight black hair to slightly below her shoulder blades with blue streaks; her eyes were brown with some specks of gold in them. Next was Sida at 5'7 sporting wavy blonde hair with purple tips and clear blue eyes. Jenae was the same height as Sida and Cali. Her straight hair was a mousy brown with green streaks and her eyes were hazel. Last came Cora who was the shortest. She was 5'4 with cropped red hair that had blonde streaks. Her eyes were green. Their clothing was all alike. An off white chemise covered by a black bodice, easily showing off their assets, and a multi-layered skirt matching the color in their hair. The females also wore an assortment of necklaces, bracelets, and bells. Three of them went straight to her closet while Sida placed a hand on Cali's shoulder. "As if you didn't know, Cal. The festival is today, remember?"

Cali groaned and sat heavily on her bed. She placed her head in her hands and groaned again. "Don't remind me." She looked at Sida. "Neil is going to be there along with his parents. Besides, you all know that I've made it a point in my life to never go. I'll probably just end up getting into another fight with one of the local boys again."

Leanna turned from her task and looked at her friend with sympathy, then smiled brightly. "Well, that is going to change. And no worries, you won't have to be anywhere near them." Cali raised an eyebrow in confusion. Leanna smiled. "You, my strange friend, are going to be our Elven Maiden this year. You're perfect for it!"

Cali shook her head furiously. "No I'm not!"

Sida grinned and nodded. "Yes you are! Not only do you look like one-"

"Oh that's encouraging."

Sida pointed to her ears. "Well, you have the ears and facial features,"

"The ears are probably just a genetic defect from my so-called birth parents who abandoned me in the forest since they could obviously care less about me," interrupted Cali.

"-and you have the grace like one," continued Sida.

Cali snorted. "Sida, I can't even curtsy much less have the grace of an Elf."

"You play your flute like no one else around here. Not to mention your music and your voice when you sing is utterly enchanting."

Cali shook her head. "Playing the flute is one of the only things I'm good at because I've been playing since I understood what a flute was. And when did you hear me sing!? I only sing when no one is around!"

Sida ignored the last remark. "Come on! You have to do it! Lisa, the girl who normally does it, is sick and can't do it this year. So you have to!"

Cali stood and walked over to her window. The sun was just rising, making it about six o'clock in the morning. She watched as some squirrels chased each other through the trees, and she caught a glimpse of a deer grazing near one of the cherry trees. She opened it to allow some of the morning air to flow into her room. The air was cool and sweet, and smelled of the woodland. The young woman turned to face her four friends. Jenae and Cora had already laid out an outfit on her bed, and Leanna and Sida were staring at her pleadingly.

Why shouldn't she do this? It would give her a chance to be herself around others for once. She could actually let her ears show without fear of being stared at like a freak. She shook her head, sometimes she gave into her friends' requests too easily. Cali laughed silently to herself. "Alright," she said softly. "I'll do it." The other females jumped up, squealing with joy and ran over to her enveloping her in a large hug. Jenae then lead her over to the bed where they had laid her outfit.

"Put this on," she commanded. "It's perfect. I'll find the accessories while you change." Cali just nodded and made her way to her bathroom to shower and change.

Two hours later, the girls pushed Cali in front of the mirror to admire their handiwork. Cali was wearing a flowing green dress with see-through sleeves, which billowed out at her elbows, one end reaching her knees. The neckline came off her shoulders enough to reveal a leaf-like symbol on both her shoulders. It was then covered with a deep, forest green leather lace-up bodice. The hems of the sleeves, neckline, and the bottom of the dress were embroidered with green leaves surrounded with Celtic symbols. She wore a green silk sash, the same green as her bodice, around her waist. The ends of the sash were nicely frayed and reached to just a foot above the ground. Underneath the dress, she wore knee-high brown boots.

Her hair had been blown dry so it would dry into long, soft curls. The hair right above her ears had been braided to the back of her head, revealing her pointed ears. In each ear lobe was a small green leaf dangling on the end of a short silver chain. Along with the pendant around her neck, she wore a black velvet choker with a green and silver leaf (like her earrings) in the middle. Also there was a short necklace made up of green and silver leaves. Her eyes had been lined with a dark green pencil, and shadowed with brown and green eye shadow. And last, her hair and face were sprinkled with silver glitter.

Cali looked at her reflection in amazement. "That's a lot of green," she commented. "And leaves. There are a lot of leaves."

"Now you truly look like an Elf Maiden," said Jenae.

"Oh joy," Cali said, sarcasm lacing her voice.

"Come on then, let's get going. Everyone else helping at the fair has already been there since a few hours before dawn," said Cora.

That struck a thought into Cali mind. "That reminds me, how did you guys get here without waking up my parents?"

Sida grinned at looked at the others. "That's easy. We rode. And then we used the stairway hidden behind the bushes and trees in the back of the house; remember? The door is hidden behind that large tapestry in the upstairs hall." Cali nodded. She had forgotten that there was a door hidden behind it, leading to a stairway outside.

"You're right, I'd forgotten. Let me get a few things first, since I know that I'll probably be spending the entire week down there, and then you guys can help me get Astalder saddled and ready." The five females then quietly rushed about the room, gathering things to place in the saddlebags. They gathered several outfits of clothing, an extra pair of black boots, some small knives (for protection), her cd player and cds, her flute, and some essentials like a hair brush, a small make-up bag (at Cora's prodding), and other small things. "I think that's it," Cali remarked. "And I have a small first aid-kit and some dried food down in the stables. Let's go." Quietly they exited the room, and crept down the stairs as to not wake her parents. Slipping behind the tapestry and down the stairway, they made their way to the stables.

The other girls ran to get her equipment while Cali carefully opened the stall door to reveal her black Friesian horse, Astalder, which meant 'valiant one'. They all worked together to brush him, place the saddle and bridal on him, put the clothing and essentials in one bag, with the kit, food, knives, one outfit and her flute in the other bag. Cali then hiked up her skirts and mounted her horse. As the others went to get their horses, Cali suddenly called out as she smoothed her skirts around her to stay decent looking. "Wait! Leanna, could you get that white rope over there and stuff it into one of the bags for me?"

"What's it for?" Leanna asked and she grabbed the rope.

Cali shrugged. "Make-shift halter." The others laughed and finished mounting. About thirty minutes later of riding, the five girls arrived in the village where the fair was to take place. All of the banners and flags were up and flying, and several stands and booths had been set up. Cali breathed in the sight and followed the girls to the main stage area where several young men were setting up benches.

"Hey Ryan!" Sida called out to one of them. "We found our replacement for our Elven Maiden!"

A tall young man with brown hair stood and ran over to them. "Great! Who is it, Sida?" Sida pointed to Cali who sat straight in her saddle and gazed down at the one called Ryan. "This is Calithradë, our new Elven Maiden!"

Ryan stared at her, mostly her pointed ears of course. "Calithradë? You mean the girl off of Brand S road?"

"The one and the same."

Ryan continued to stare at Cali who in return narrowed her eyes and glared back. After a few minutes, Ryan said, "You're right Sida, she is perfect."

Jenae nudged her horse near Cali's, and threw her arms around her. "You hear that?! You're perfect! Plus it was a 'male' who said it! Come on, we'll show you around the place and explain what you have to do." She then led Cali to the stables where she could keep her horse. After making sure Astalder was set, Jenae lead Cali back to the main area. The other had already dismounted and some of the young men were leading the horses away. Sida turned to Cali and smiled.

"Good, you're back. Take a seat and we'll explain what's going to be happening. The fair officially starts at nine o'clock when the Elven Maiden walks onto the stage and introduces herself. In your case, you'll come on playing your flute to capture everyone attention. You'll play one or two songs, and then welcome the audience to the fair. You will then introduce us, as your subjects and servants, who will guide them around the fair. After that, you'll be free to wonder around until lunch, when we have a sort of play put on. Then again at sun set. Ryan, I'm sure, will tell you about the play when it gets close to the time. Think you can do this, Cali?"

Cali sighed and nodded. "Sure." She stood and gazed out to the rest of the fair. "I'm going to take a walk and see some of the sights, okay?" But before the others could answer, Cali walked off. After walking for a few minutes, Cali wondered why she never came to the fair in the previous years. It was amazing. There were at least a hundred booths all together. Some sold food, others art, jewelry, clothing, and other trinkets. There were even some blacksmith shops. One of them in particular, caught Cali's interest. The blacksmith had several daggers and swords hanging about his booth and he was currently working on a new one. Cali walked up to admire the various blades. Suddenly, a flicker caught her gaze. She glided over to a table and to the weapon that had caught her eye. It was actually a set consisting of a long bow, a sword and two long knives. The metal, of which the three blades were made from, seemed to almost glow. Cali then noticed the symbols on the blades. They were almost similar to the language she was studying, but different somehow. The bow, she figured to be at least four or five feet long. It's long handle a silvery blue with small vines winding their way around it.

"Like what you see?" a soft voice said.

Cali gasped and jumped. She whirled around to see an old man standing there. He was much taller than she was with long gray-white hair, a long white beard, and kind gray eyes. He was draped in a gray cloak and held a white staff in his right hand. "Um, y-yes," Cali stammered still startled.

"Do you have any experience?" the old man asked.

She looked at him curiously. "I had some lessons when I was younger, but I think could hold my own for a short while if the situation called for it," Cali replied. The man nodded and walked over to where the blacksmith was working. They talked for a few moments and the old man handed the blacksmith a small bag. After looking at its contents, the smith nodded and they shook hands. The old man then walked back over to where Cali stood. He sheathed each of the blades, and picked up a sheath of arrows next to the table and laid it beside the bow. He then turned to Cali and smiled.

"These are yours now. Use them wisely." With that, the old man turned to leave when Cali caught his arm, stopping him.

"Wait. What?…..why?" she asked in confusion.

He smiled gently and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Because I have never met a more lovely Maiden in all my years of coming here, Calithradë."

Cali shrunk back a few steps. "How did you know my name? Who are you?"

"Ah, please forgive me." The man bent at the waist, slightly bowing. "I am Gandal White, the resident wizard of this fair. As for knowing your name, I heard it being mentioned by a young lady earlier this morning."

"Oh. Figures." Cali then tried to curtsy, but after an unsuccessful attempt she opted to just bow. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. White. But why did you get these for me? They must have cost a fortune."

Gandal White nodded. "If you would care to come with me to my own tent, I will explain." Cali consented. After showing her how to strap on and wear the various weapons, Mr. White led her out of the blacksmith's shop and to his own tent. The tent of the fair's wizard was huge. Though the outside was a plain brown, the inside of it was almost like she had stepped into another world. There were several shelves of thick leather-bound books, and piles of parchments. Jars filled with … things… lined other shelves, and crystals and other odds and ends littered the tent. There was a desk covered with parchment, a few chairs, a chest off to one side, several boxes filled with fireworks, and dare she think it, a crystal ball on a pedestal in the middle of the tent. A soft 'hoot' caused Cali to turn her head and see a white owl perched on a wooden stand next to the entrance. The animal stared at her with its large golden eyes, like it was saying, "I know something you don't".

"Here, we go," said Mr. White suddenly. Cali shifted her gazed to him where he was bending over the chest. He straightened up and turned around to reveal a ring in his hands. The ring was silver and held a large black stone. He walked over to Cali and handed her the ring. "Here, take this. Put it on and all of your questions will be answered this afternoon." Mr. White then glanced over her shoulder at the entrance. "You'd better get going. I believe some of your friends are looking for you." Cali looked at the entrance then back at Mr. White, only to find him gone. He wasn't anywhere in the tent. Startled and growing wary, she ran out of the tent, the owl's eyes watching her closely.

Later that day in the early afternoon, after the fair had officially started, Cali was sitting under a tree fingering her flute. The opening of the fair, according to everyone she came across, had been a success. She performed beautifully, taking the part to heart as if she truly were an Elf maiden. Cali had seen her parents and the Jensons in the crowd, but intentionally ignored them. She sighed and brought the flute to her lips. It was a simple instrument, given to her from an anonymous person on her tenth birthday. The flute was wooden, like an old fashioned one, smooth to the touch with small engravings that she could not recognize. Cali began to play a tune she heard in her dreams once. After the dream, she had awoken and tried to play the tune, finding it easily coming to her mind. She played it without fault. The tune was now her favorite and she played it often. Cali suddenly stopped playing when she thought of that strange man who had bought her the weapons and given her the ring. _'What questions were he talking about?'_ she thought to herself.

_'That's easy,'_ her mind answered back. _'Who am I? Why am I here? And why am I so different from everyone else?'_ Cali thought on these while rubbing a finger against the black stone in the ring. She wondered if her questions really would be answered this afternoon. But how could a small thing like this help? Determined to find out, Cali stood and headed to the main tent where she was sure one of her friends was residing. Soon, she came to a large green and brown tent with two young men standing at the entrance, like guards. She walked up to them and with a light smile, was allowed in. Cali looked around until she spotted Leanna sitting on a trunk, braiding a smaller girl's hair.

"Hey, Leanna?" Cali asked.

Leanna looked up from what she was doing and smiled at Cali. "Hey, what can I do for you?"

"I'm going to go for a ride in the woods. I'll be back in about an hour, before the play starts."

The other girls nodded. "Alright. But take my cloak. There's a bit of a breeze going, so it's going to be a bit chillier in the woods." She motioned to a rack where a thick gray cloak was hanging. Cali thanked her and put the cloak on, suddenly warmer. Once at the stables, Cali had one of the stable boys help her saddle her horse. He also assisted her in strapping her saddlebags back on and her weapons. Cali wasn't sure why, but she just felt that when she went into the woods, she should have them with her, and soon she was heading toward the forest. After a few minutes of wondering around, Cali noticed a low fog starting to form. She pulled the cloak tighter around her; thankful Leanna had lent it to her. She soon came to a clearing, where she dismounted and began to lead her horse by the reins. After exiting the clearing, Cali noticed the fog beginning to rise and thicken. She at once decided to remount and head back before the fog became too thick and she became lost.

Once on her horse, Cali turned him around to head back, only realize that the fog had lifted so high, she could not recognize her surroundings. _'Great, I'm lost,' _she scolded herself. Picking a direction, knowing that sooner or later it would lead her out of the forest, she urged Astalder forward at a brisk walk. But no avail. After what seemed like hours, Cali stopped and growled in frustration. This was not supposed to happen. She chose another direction when suddenly a strong wind blew through the trees. It blew her hair violently to the side and sent chills down her body. Trying to shield herself from the wind, Cali pressed on in the direction she chose. Soon another gust of wind blew, this time much stronger than the first and it was followed by a loud clap of thunder with a bright flash of white light, causing her horse to rear up. Holding tightly with her legs and the front of her saddle, Cali whispered soothing words to Astalder and stroked his neck until he calmed down.

Deciding that she had to get out of the woods now, Cali urged an all too eager Astalder into a trot. As they made their way through the trees, Cali noticed the fog had suddenly lifted. It fact, it was gone. The sun was shining through the tops of the trees, and the air was warmer than it had been. Knowing that she was not getting anywhere and as soon as she came to another clearing, Cali dismounted again to rest and stretch her legs. Before long, she was sitting on a rock nibbling on some dried fruit and her horse was grazing when a loud squeal rang through the clearing. It startled her and caused her horse to rear up again and this time bolt out of the clearing.

"Astalder!" Cali cried out after him but knew she could not catch him. Suddenly, the squealing noise sounded again, this time closer. Cali turned in the direction of the sound to see a creature at the edge of the clearing. Its skin was like rotten leather and smelled horrible. It had very little hair and its eyes glowed a blazing yellow. The creature's teeth were like razors and a blackish-green substance dribbled from one side of its mouth. Cali stared at the creature, terrified, as it slowly advanced on her. Quickly regaining her senses, she reached under her dress to her boot where she kept a spare dagger. She drew it out and kept the knife in front of her as the creature continued to creep forward. Unexpectedly, the creature broke into a run and lunged at Cali, knocking her to the ground. It pinned her arms to the side and grinned wickedly in her face.

As it slowly lowered its face to her neck with its teeth bared it, to her surprise, widened its eyes and slumped forward onto her chest, not breathing. Disgusted, Cali pushed the creature off her and quickly stood, backing away from it. She notice two arrows embedded in it, one from the creature's head, and the other from the neck. Her ears then picked up the slight sound of leaves rustling. Cali quickly picked her dagger back up from the ground and once again held it in front of her. No sooner than had her eyes darted to where she heard the sound, but two men on horseback entered the clearing. They were both supporting bows and one was leading Astalder by his reins. Cali backed until she felt her back hit the trunk of a tree. She watched as the two men dismounted and slowly walked over to her.

"Are you alright, Milady?" one of them asked. He had dark brown hair and light green eyes. Cali's breath quickened as they continued to get closer. "Did the creature hurt you?" he asked.

The other one, a blonde guy with blue eyes, brought Astalder over to her. "Is this your horse, Milady?" Cali quickly nodded, grateful that her horse was alright after he had run off. "Are you sure you're alright?" he asked with gentle concern in his eyes.

"Y-yes," Cali managed to stammer out. "Thank you."

The blonde one bowed. "You're quite welcome, Milady. If you would allow me to introduce us, I am Legolas and this is my companion, Déorwin. Who are you and what were you doing out here without an escort of some kind?"

Cali just stared at them. Then she noticed their ears. They were slightly pointed, like hers. _'Whoa. Their ears are just like mine!'_ Still shaking because of the creature, scared of her surroundings, and uncertain about the two men in front of her, Cali did something she'd never done in her life. She fainted.


	4. Welcome to Mirkwood, part 1

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Chapter three: Welcome to Mirkwood, part 1  
  
Legolas and Déorwin looked at each other and then down at the girl on the ground. They hadn't expected her to faint. Legolas turned to his friend. "Give me a hand and let's get her onto my horse. We need to take her back to the palace and have one of the healers look at her to make sure she's alright." His companion nodded and helped hoist the young maiden onto Legolas's horse, then took hold of the reins of the other horse as he mounted his. As soon a the Elf prince had mounted, and placed an arm around the girl to secure her, they rode as swiftly as they could back to the palace.  
  
When they reached the palace, Déorwin called out to one of the guards. "You there! Go fetch the King and a healer! Tell him we have a young lady who needs to be looked at!" The guard nodded quickly and rushed inside the palace. Déorwin then jumped down from his horse and ran over to Legolas. The prince handed him the girl and jumped from his own horse and both rushed into the palace. On their way to one of the guest chambers, they met one of the healers coming towards them.  
  
"Is this the young girl?" the healer asked.  
  
"Yes," replied Legolas. "We found her in the forest. She had been attacked by an orc and fainted shortly after, though we do not know if she had been injured." The healer nodded, assessing this information, and motioned to Déorwin.  
  
"Would you fetch some palliative solution from my study?" The brown haired Elf nodded and handed the girl to Legolas. The healer turned to him. "Now, my Prince, if you would take her to a place where she could lay down."  
  
"Of course," Legolas agreed. He then led the way to an empty chamber next to his. The Elf Prince walked swiftly over to the bed and gently laid the young girl on the covers.  
  
The healer then began to examine her. He checked her heart rate and looked for cuts of any kind. The old elf then removed her boots to check her legs. After a few moments, he stood back and cleared his throat. "Well, my Prince, she seems to be alright. There are a few bruises, and she may have a headache when she awakens, but she should be alright." Just then, King Thranduil entered the room with Déorwin following closely behind. King Thranduil walked to the bedside and studied the girl his son and friend had brought in as Déorwin handed the bottle of palliative to the healer. The healer then handed it to Legolas. "Here, take this. When she awakens, give her this. It should take care of any pains she may have."  
  
Legolas nodded and placed a hand on the healer's shoulder. "Thank you, Garand. Your help was greatly appreciated." Garand then bowed to the Prince and King, and took his leave.  
  
Déorwin also bowed to them. "I will take my leave as well. Perhaps I will see you later, my Prince?" Legolas inclined his head and his friend left the room. The Elf Prince turned and watched as his father reached out a tender hand and gently brushed a strand of hair off the maiden's face.  
  
"The guard who informed me of you two bringing in a strange girl from the forest was very brief. Tell me what happened and how you came to find her."  
  
Legolas sat in a chair beside the bed and stared at the mysterious maiden. "Déorwin and I were out for a morning ride when we spotted some orc tracks. We armed our bows and proceeded to follow the tracks. Not even a minute after, we heard a young woman cry out for something and a large black horse came barreling through the trees at us. As soon as the horse saw us, it stopped and turned to face the direction it had come. Déorwin took hold of its reins, and we rode swiftly in that direction. We then came upon a clearing where an orc was attacking this girl. We shot our arrows at the creature, killing it upon impact. The girl was terribly terrified after the attack and still was when we showed ourselves; it was almost as if she had never seen our kind before. She did then confirm the black horse as hers, but fainted before we could get her name or why she was out there by herself."  
  
King Thranduil smiled at looked at his son. "It is then a good thing you and Déorwin were out this morn."  
  
"Yes," replied Legolas. "A good thing indeed," he murmured more quietly to himself.  
  
His father chuckled as his Elven ears picked up his son's last comment. He walked to the doors and said before leaving, "I take it you are going to stay here until she has awoken?"  
  
"Not at the moment, but I will be back later to check on her."  
  
"Very well, send one of the servants to me when she awakened. Tenna' telwan (until then), Legolas." With that the King left the room and headed back to his study to finish caring for the legal affairs of his kingdom.  
  
Legolas gazed at the young maiden one last time before standing. 'Who are you? Where did you come from? And why do you somehow make me feel complete?' he thought to himself as he left the room, leaving the girl to her dreams.  
  
----------------------------  
  
It was several hours later when Cali began to regain her senses. She slowly opened her eyes, only to have the dull ache in her head somewhat intensify. Cali slowly sat up, as to not jolt her head, and gazed at her surroundings. She was in a large bed with the softest linens she had ever felt and a soft off white in color. The room she was in was slightly larger than her room at home. It was fairly open with a warm breeze blowing through. The walls were a soft gleaming blue with several paintings hung on them. The pictures were of things she did not recognize. Some were of animals, others of regal mountain ranges or flowing fields and meadows, and a few held portraits of .. Elves. Most of them had the same blonde hair and blue eyes. 'They must all be related,' she thought with a smirk.  
  
A further examination of the room revealed a door on the right to what she supposed could be a washroom, and a large armoire with a few chests next to it. One wall had a desk against it with a couple of candle stands and some parchment and what she thought were quills of some kind. On the wall in front of her, was a set of two large French doors that she guessed to lead into a hallway of some sort and to the rest of this place she was in. There were also several plants scattered about and even a tree growing out of the floor in one corner, going up through the ceiling. On her left, there were some gate-like French doors, leading to a large balcony.  
  
It was then she noticed him. It was the same blonde man who had rescued her from that creature. He was sitting in a chair in front of the window next to the balcony reading a thick, leather bound book. Apparently, he was so engrossed with his book that he did not notice her sit up. His inattentiveness, she hoped, would buy her a few moments to study him. She recalled that he had told her his name, but she couldn't remember. Judging by his long legs, Cali guessed him to be at least six foot, or somewhere in that range. His blonde hair cascaded over his shoulders reaching to almost the middle of his chest. He also wore a simple thin gold band around his head with an amber stone in the middle on his forehead. He was clad in gray and a light blue, the sleeves of his tunic slightly billowed, and black boots reaching his knees. His features were almost, dare she think it, angelic. Cali then again noticed his ears; they were pointed like hers, which still confused her. Suddenly, he smiled at something in his book, the edges of his mouth quirking. She could tell that his muscles were well toned, upon seeing his broad shoulders, chest, arms, and legs. Cali thought for a moment that if she were dead, if this was heaven. But the ongoing ache in her head cured her of that thought.  
  
"Like what you see?" a soft voice asked causing Cali to jump, startled. The blonde man in the chair broadened his smile and turned his head to look at her. He put his book down and stood, walking over to the bed. Cali eyed him warily and leaned away. He slowly raised his arm and held out his hand to her. "Don't worry, I won't hurt you."  
  
Cali looked at his hand, then back at his face. "Where am I?" she asked. "How did I get here, and who are you?"  
  
He nodded knowingly and dropped his hand to his side. He bowed and said, "I am Legolas Greenleaf, son of Thranduil. You are currently in the palace of Mirkwood, which is home to the Northern Elves-"  
  
Cali's eyes widened, not sure if she heard right. "Wait, Elves? There's no such thing as Elves."  
  
The 'Elf' called Legolas, raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What do you mean? Of course there are Elves. You yourself are one. I'm beginning to think that maybe you hit your head when that orc attacked you."  
  
She shook her head. Cali was becoming more confused and frustrated by the second. "What is an orc? How did I get here, and where is here?!" she said her voice rising with each word. "Most of all, how can I be an Elf? I'm human!"  
  
Legolas sighed and tried to calm her down. 'Oh boy,' he thought. 'I didn't expect this. Maybe my father, or even Gandalf would be better equipped to handle this.' "I assure you, Milady, neither I nor my people mean you any harm. My companion and I found you in the forest being attacked by an orc, which was that creature you saw. We killed it, and then you fainted shortly after. We brought you here to make sure you were not injured. You are in the palace of Mirkwood, home of King Thranduil, my father. And you are no human, for you are too fair to be one of them. You are an Elf, like me." He then walked to the door and motioned to someone.  
  
Cali moved to sit at the edge of the bed and stared down at her lap, not sure what to say. She couldn't possibly be in another place; she never left the forest. Not to mention he said they were 'Elves', and that she was one as well. But Elves don't' exist. Do they? It did explain her ears and his, though. 'And I can't forget that he said his father was "King" of this place, so that must make him a Prince,' she thought. Cali looked up to see Legolas at the room's entrance talking to a younger looking boy. Legolas then waved the boy away and walked to a small table that sat next to the bed. He picked up a cup of some kind, and handed it to her.  
  
"Here, drink this. It should sooth whatever pains you have." When he handed her the cup, their fingers brushed against each other, causing a tiny tingling sensation to run up their arms, but it went unnoticed by the two.  
  
Cali peered inside at the cup's contents. 'Well, I still do have a headache.' Studying the cup's insides, she found that the liquid substance had no smell, and was a smoky green. She suddenly recalled something Cora had told her once. ~"Never trust something with no smell to taste nice. It will most likely be the worst thing you've ever tasted in your life."~ She looked at the liquid again and slightly cringed. 'She's probably right. That stuff looks nasty!' Cali then gazed up at Legolas, to find his eyes full of sympathy. Taking a deep and closing her eyes, Cali brought the cup to her lips, swallowed a mouthful and froze. 'Oh Kami.' She nearly gagged and struggled not to spit it out. Suddenly, Legolas burst out laughing and sat on the bed next to her, holding his sides. Cali coughed and set the cup on the table. "Ugh! What is that stuff?!"  
  
When his laughter died down, Legolas grinned at her. "It's a palliative. A soothing substance our healer created to rid our bodies of pain. And it's very prompt."  
  
She continued to cough and placed a hand on her throat. "That, is the most horrible stuff I have ever tasted in my entire life! I'd rather live with my headache than have to drink that again." Legolas began to laugh again, and Cali hit him on the shoulder. "It's not funny! You try drinking that stuff!"  
  
He looked at her, smiling. "I know what you're feeling; the healer has had to forced it down my throat on more than one occasion. Now tell me, is your headache gone?"  
  
Cali wanted to argue and say it didn't work .. when, she felt no throbbing in her head. She hung her head in defeat and said, "Fine, you win. It's gone."  
  
Legolas chuckled. "Good I'm glad. Now-" but before he could get anymore words out the doors to the room opened to reveal and older man who looked remarkably like Legolas, only older, with a goblet in his hand. She presumed this was his father.  
  
"Ah," he said in his gentle deep voice, "I see that you have awakened Milady and have met my son." He walked over to them and handed her the goblet. "Here, drink this. I will presume that Legolas had you drink that awful substance our healer calls a pain reliever. This should get rid of the taste."  
  
Cali looked into the goblet. It was a light purple and had a sweet smell. She looked at Legolas's father. "What is it?" she asked suspiciously. She wasn't taking any more chances with strange drinks.  
  
He laughed softly. "I understand your need for distrust of it. I assure you though, it is just a fruit drink. I believe it is made from a berry humans call, 'grapes'."  
  
Her eyes lit up. "Finally," she muttered, "something I recognize." Quickly breathing in its sweet smell, Cali drained the entire goblet. She then set the empty cup next to the other one, which she scowled at. She turned back to the two men and took the hand Legolas's father held out to her, who helped her to stand.  
  
"Now if my son has neglected to tell you yet, I am King Thranduil and I welcome you to Mirkwood, Milady.?"  
  
"Oh! Forgive me." Cali blushed in embarrassment. "Calithradë. My name is Calithradë, but everyone calls me Cali."  
  
King Thranduil smiled and nodded. "Lady Cali it is then. And seeing as it is nearly noon, I would ask that you would honor us with your presence and join us for lunch in the dining hall?" She hesitated, then nodded. "Very well then. I shall send for a maidservant to come and prepare a bath for you and bring some other clothing so you may bathe and change into some clean clothes."  
  
Cali swallowed and stammered, "Th-thank you, your .. Highness. I would very much appreciate that."  
  
Legolas smiled and bowed to her. "I shall be back in an hour and a half, Lady Cali, to escort you to the dining hall."  
  
She raised an eyebrow at him. "An hour and a half?"  
  
The blonde 'elf' stared at her. "Is that not enough? Would you need more time?" Cali could almost detect a hint of desperation his voice.  
  
She shook her head. "No, of course not! It's actually a bit too much time, but alright."  
  
He sighed in relief. Legolas had panicked for a moment, thinking she would ask for more than just an hour and a half. "Alright Milady. I shall see you later then?" Cali nodded in agreement, and the father and son took their leave.  
  
Just as they reached the door, Cali thought of something. "Wait! Legolas!" They stopped and turned to looked at her.  
  
"Is something wrong Lady Cali?"  
  
"My horse. I had two bags on the saddle of my horse. I need them."  
  
Legolas nodded. "Yes, I recall the bags. I will get them and have the maidservant bring them to you."  
  
Cali smiled appreciatively. "Thank you." Legolas smiled back and he and his father left the room, closing the door after them. Cali then sat on the bed and leaned back wondering what else the day had in store for her.  
  
---------------------------  
  
When they were far enough away from the Lady Cali's room, King Thranduil turned to his son. "Calithradë. Does that name sound familiar to you?"  
  
The Elven Prince leaned against the wall. "Yes, it does. Do you think she could have any relation to the Whitelance family? I seem to remember them having a daughter with a name like hers."  
  
"I agree, and Lady Cali does bear a striking resemblance to Lady Ambriel. Did you happen to notice the pendant around her neck as well? The symbol on it almost matches the pendant worn by Lord Elric and his sons."  
  
Legolas nodded solemnly, thinking to himself. "Father, do you think it's possible that Lady Cali could the missing daughter of Lord Elric and Lady Ambriel? I recall that their daughter went missing nearly two decades ago."  
  
"It is highly possible, Legolas, although let's not presume that she is their missing daughter just yet. I think we should learn more about her past before jumping to conclusions. Lord Elric and Lady Ambriel and their sons may very well be at the festival in Rivendell. Why don't you invite Lady Cali? I'm sure the experience would be good for her, and maybe we'll be able to figure out if she is their daughter or not." King Thranduil smirked and leaned in closer to his son. "Besides, then you won't have your mother nagging at you to court every pretty female there."  
  
This caused Legolas to laugh out loud. "You have a point, father. I will ask her." Legolas removed himself from the wall and began to head down a hallway. "I will see you later. I must fetch Lady Cali's bags from her horse. Namaarie (farewell)."  
  
"Namaarie, my son." Watching as his son walked in the direction of the stables, Thranduil headed to his study to ponder about Lady Cali, and writing a response to Lord Elrond, saying they would be attending the festival.  
  
----------------------------  
  
'Thirty-five . thirty-six . thir- no wait, that's not one . Okay, thirty- seven .' Cali was currently laying on the bed staring up at the ceiling, trying to count the number of bird-like shapes she saw etched into the large design. She was getting bored, it's been at least ten minutes since the two males left her there. Suddenly, the doors opened and Cali sat up to see who it was. It was a girl who looked about her age, with large brown eyes, and honey colored hair. The girl had Cali's bags and a few other articles of clothing draped over her arm. She walked over to Cali and set them next to her.  
  
"Your bags and a few dresses for you to wear, Milady, courtesy of Lady Lisandrei." She curtsied. "I am Nadia; the King has assigned me to be your maidservant while you are here. I will go and see that your bath gets ready now," the girl said as she walked back to the doors. She opened them further to allow several other servants to enter, each carrying a container of what Cali presumed was hot water, judging by the steam pouring out of the tops. The maidservant next made her way back to where Cali sat and indicated for her to stand. "While the servants fill your bath, we'll pick something for you to wear."  
  
As Cali's small smile faltered, she gazed at the dresses on the bed and shook her head. "Thank you Nadia, but I would prefer to wear my own clothing, if you don't mind." Nadia looked at her confused, as Cali opened her bags. Cali pulled out her black boots and a blue and crème tunic; similar to the one Legolas was wearing. She dug in further to find a rope belt and some black leggings. Cali turned to Nadia, revealing her choices.  
  
Nadia was confused. Why would she want to wear men's clothing? "But, Milady. Why do you wear men's clothing? They are unbefitting for a woman."  
  
Cali laughed softly. "I understand what you mean. You see, I don't really like dresses, and only wear them if it's absolutely necessary."  
  
The maidservant looked at what Cali was wearing. "Then why do you wear a dress now? What were you doing?"  
  
Cali turned and looked out the window and thought about the fair. She wondered what her friends were thinking, and how worried they must be, since she had yet to return. She didn't even know how long she had been gone. In turn, she thought about her parents, if they even knew she was gone. But if Cali knew her friends right, then they would try and cover for her until she returned or for as long as they could. Cali sighed and shook her head. She turned to Nadia. "I was performing at a fair," she said simply and walked past her to stand in front of the window.  
  
Nodding understandingly, Nadia turned and went to the washroom to see if the servants had finished preparing the bath.  
  
Twenty minutes later, Cali stepped out of the tub and wrapped the drying cloth around her body. She looked at herself in the mirror and smiled. She was glad to finally get all that make-up off her face. As she dried herself off, Cali looked around the washroom. It wasn't modern that was for sure. The floor and walls were made of white tiles. The floor, however, were several green tiles arranged to create a tree-like pattern. The mirror on the wall was about half the size of a full-length mirror and surrounded by sliver vines. Beneath the mirror was a small stone table with a hand basin and pile of hand towels next to it. On the wall opposite of the door, was a small window covered with a sheer white curtain. Cali then began to hum to herself as she finished drying and dressed.  
  
Several minutes afterward, Cali sat in a chair in front of a mirror while Nadia fussed with her hair. The female Elf was braiding many small sections of her hair, weaving ribbons into them, and Cali was starting to become a bit agitated. "You know," Cali said. "I can do this myself, and much quicker too." Nadia raised an eyebrow at her but stepped back, allowing Cali to take over.  
  
"If you insist, Milady."  
  
Cali sighed, she was beginning to hate being called that. It was too feminine. "And Nadia, please, call me Cali. I'm starting to really detest being called 'Milady'." She then combed her fingers through her hair, undoing the braids and trying not to rip the ribbons out. Reaching into the make-up bag Cora had insisted she bring with her, Cali removed a number of small pins. Using the comb Nadia had been using, Cali combed her hair into sections and began to twist her hair into several small rows along the top of her head, using the pins to secure them. She also made sure to leave some of her bangs out so they would fall down the sides, framing her face. Once she was finished, Cali glanced at her face deciding that she didn't need make-up but went ahead and added some white eye shadow. Last she placed on the jewelry she was wearing when she arrived and stood in front of Nadia, waiting for a response. "Well?"  
  
Nadia looked Cali over, finally smiling in approval. "Normally I don't see females dressed in men's attire, but on you, I approve."  
  
Cali nodded in agreement and went to sit on the bed to wait for Legolas. "And I suppose Legolas and the others have never seen females wear these either?" Nadia shook her head. "Well, there's a first time for everything." And as the two waited, Nadia began to tell Cali what was to be expected of her when she met the rest of the royal family. In Cali's own words, she was only to speak when spoken to, be very polite, and of course, answer every question they might ask. Nearly twenty minutes had passed before there was a soft knocking at the door. Nadia stood and went to the door to open it. It was Legolas. He stepped into the room, and his gaze swept over Cali. She felt very proud of herself as his eyes widened in slight surprise; most likely at her chosen attire.  
  
He then walked over to Cali and took her hand in his, placing a light kiss on it. He helped her to stand. "Lady Cali, you look .. stunning," Legolas commented after a small hesitation. He then began to lead her out of the room. "Come, my family is waiting for us."  
  
Cali followed him, a bit surprised. She had expected him to make somewhat of a big deal since she was not wearing a dress, where this apparently was a society where females only wore dresses. Not to mention, Cali received the notion that most females were either very timid, or very irritable. She was going to have to adjust. A lot.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 


	5. Welcome to Mirkwood, part 2

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Chapter four: Welcome to Mirkwood, part 2  
  
Cali stared wide-eyed in amazement as Legolas led her through the many hallways. She never knew a place so beautiful could ever exist. The walls and floor seemed to be made of marble, but the blonde Elf next to her explained they were made from a type a stone called Nimphel. The stone gleamed and gave the impression of an opal, changing from a creamy white, to a soft green, to a light blue or red, depending on how you looked at it. Like her room there were plants everywhere, mostly of which were growing out of the floor. The entire palace looked as if it were built around the trees. There were as well, windows everywhere leading outside to an equally more beautiful world. The forests surrounding this place Legolas called Mirkwood, was in a sense, magical; like it was part of a whole other world or dimension. Cali then vaguely wondered if by some chance she had been pulled into another world.  
  
At one point, Cali stopped walking to look out one of the windows. She watched as the winds blew through the trees, causing them to sway in a rhythmic feeling. She smiled to herself as the wind changed directions and gently brought the warm air and the sweet smell of trees and other unfamiliar scents to her, alighting her senses. Cali sighed to herself; how she longed to walk among those magnificent plants and bask in their regal presence. It sort of reminded her of the old forest behind her home. 'Home,' she thought. 'I wonder what everyone will think when they realize I'm gone. I wonder if my parents will even miss me. I somehow doubt it, they were always annoyed with me in one way or another. But I miss them anyways. I just hope to whatever Deity there is that I'm dreaming.'  
  
Legolas smiled as he stood next Cali. He turned his face toward hers to see her gaze longingly out into the forest. His eyes then swept across her attire once more. When he returned to escort Cali to the meal, he had expected her to be wearing something similar to what the female Elves here wore. But to see her in the clothing of a male, he was genuinely shocked. He had struggled to not show his initial astonishment, but couldn't help the surprise from showing in his eyes. Legolas had to admit though, for wearing attire not accustomed for a woman, she looked.good. The Elf Prince couldn't help but wonder where she had come from, to acquire such clothing. 'Who are you, and where did you come from?' he asked to himself. When Legolas's eyes returned to Cali's face, she turned her face toward his and their eyes met, causing them both to startle each other. "What were you thinking about?" he asked her softly.  
  
Cali lowered her faze from his face, and looked back out the window. "Home," she murmured. "I wonder if they've noticed that I haven't returned yet. If they have, I'm curious as to how much chaos they've ensued." Cali laughed to herself thinking of how her friends would be coping without her.  
  
Legolas raised an eyebrow. "They?" he asked.  
  
Cali turned back to him. "My friends," she replied. "I was performing at a fair, before I ended up here. My friends had gotten the idea into their heads that they would use me as their "Elven Maiden" since the girl who usually did it was gone. I guess she was supposed to be something like the official princess of the fair."  
  
The Elf prince next to her nodded and held out his arm to her. "You should tell me more about this fair while we eat. But now, I fear if we delay any longer my mother well send the guards after us." Cali smiled faintly but didn't take his arm. Legolas looked at her questionably and they resumed their path to the dining hall. As they walked, Cali continued to stare in awe of the structure of the place she was in; it certainly wasn't like anything she'd seen before. A few minutes later, they arrived at a large archway with two guards standing on either side. Nodding at them, Legolas led her through only to suddenly stop and freeze at the sound of someone's laughter. Cali skidded to a stop next to him.  
  
"What's wrong?" she asked starring at his still form.  
  
"Ed' i' ear ar' elenea! (by the sea and stars)" Legolas swore under his breath. "I don't need this." He was shocked to find a few of Mirkwood's nobles there, the female ones at least, sitting there with his parents. Obviously, his mother really was determined to find him a life mate. How was he supposed to find more about this strange she-elf with all those other females fighting for his attention. Legolas then noticed Déorwin a few seats from his father. He caught Déorwin's eye and groaned inwardly when his friend glanced over at the females and grimaced. Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, he looked back at Cali who had nudged him. She looked pointedly at him, repeating her question in her blue-gray eyes.  
  
"Those females," he whispered as he began lead her slowly to the table, "are my mother's attempt at trying to find me a life mate."  
  
Cali looked at the females at the table and widened her eyes. They were all wearing the same style of dress. Tight and low in the front. Judging by the parts of the conversation that drifted their way, Cali concluded that they looked and sounded like some of the girls from her village. They felt they were above most everyone and wanted the best of everything for themselves. And apparently what they wanted was Legolas. 'I hope all the females here aren't like this.' "Life mate. You mean a wife." Legolas nodded grimly, and she frowned slightly. "I'm sorry. I would run if my parents did that to me."  
  
"Trust me, I would if I could," he said. By now the two had reached the long table. "I'll place you between myself and Déorwin, so the females won't be able to badger as much you." Cali nodded grimly as Legolas pulled out a chair for her next to the dark haired Elf and took the seat on her left next to his father. As soon as Cali had taken her seat an older woman, whom she supposed to be Legolas's mother, immediately spoke up.  
  
"So you must be the Lady Cali my son and husband have been telling me about. When Thranduil first mentioned the strange girl my son had found, I became so anxious to meet her!" she exclaimed. "I'm Lisandrei, Legolas's mother." Cali smiled nervously and glanced at the others around the table. King Thranduil was reading a piece of parchment of some sort, Legolas was smiling at her reassuringly, and Déorwin was seemingly oblivious to everything as he looked to be staring off into space. Legolas's mother, who was still grinning sweetly at her, appeared to be a charming lady with kind blue eyes, and dark blonde hair. It was then that one of the female Elves let their presence be known.  
  
"Cali, that is an unusual name. Where are you from? And how was it that you came to arrive in our fair city?" Cali could easily pick out the 'I am more important than you' tone in her voice. This prompted Cali to study the she-Elves more closely. She was right about the dresses; low and tight. Obviously worn to try and catch the Prince's attention. The female who had spoken had hair the color of fire and piercing green eyes. The others then looked expectantly at Cali, wanting to know the same.  
  
Cali cleared her throat and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "My full name is Calithradë. Um, I come from a very small city, more like a village, called Shirebury, and I'm not quiet sure how I came to be here. I had been lost in the forest and was trying to find my way out."  
  
Legolas's mother raised an eyebrow and looked at Cali curiously. "Calithradë? That names sounds familiar. By any chance are you related to the Lord and Lady Whitelance? And in the forest alone? Where was your escort? Surely you must have had one."  
  
Cali swallowed nervously, 'Escort?' "I, um ... we were separated ... in a fog. And no, I'm afraid I've never heard of them."  
  
The female who had first spoken to Cali narrowed her eyes. "Are you sure? I remember that Lord Elric had a daughter named Calithradë. Who are your parents? And where is this place you call, 'Shirebury'? I've never heard of such a place."  
  
Cali then began to shift uncomfortably and nervously in her seat. She didn't like the way things were going. How was she supposed to explain how she came to be here, and where she came from. Everyone here thought they were Elves. If she really had been sucked into another world, was she going to have to create an entire past for herself?  
  
Another one of the females then spoke, this one with blonde hair and amber eyes. "Yes, and what about your escort? He must have found his way here by now. If not-"  
  
It was at this point when Legolas's father decided to speak. "Lady Anya, Lady Elanor, I think we should let Lady Cali become more comfortable with us and her surroundings before we attempt to find out her past." He then glanced at Cali. "Would that be alright, Lady Cali?"  
  
She nodded gratefully. "Y-yes, th-thank you," she stammered. This would give her more time to find out where she was, and come up with a suitable past for herself. Suddenly, several servants entered the hall, each carrying one or two plates with food on them. They came and stood behind the chairs, and in unison, placed a platter of food in front of everyone. Cali nodded her thanks, but when she looked down, her face fell. There was not a single thing on the plate in front of her that she could name, or even slightly recognize. 'This is not good,' she thought to herself. She took a quick look around to see the others eating their meal contently. She looked again at the food in front of her and tried to decided what exactly it was she was looking at. Cali sighed and tentatively reached out, picking up a bread-like..thing. She nibbled on it, finding the bread to have a sweet taste. She then laughed inwardly to herself. 'At this rate I'm going to starve,' she thought. As Cali tried to decide what to test next, she felt a hand on her shoulder, causing her to jump.  
  
Déorwin had looked at Lady Cali to see her looking very troubled. She appeared to be eating very little, and he wondered what was wrong. He laughed to himself as she jumped when he placed a hand on her shoulder. Déorwin leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Are you alright, Milady? Is the food not to your liking?"  
  
Cali's face reddened and she shook her head. "No, I'm fine. It's just that this food is very unfamiliar to me. I've never seen anything like it before." Déorwin just smiled and proceeded to explain each of the different foods. Most of the meal consisted of fruits, vegetables, bread, and a little meat. After trying a bit of each, Cali discovered the food to taste similar to the food back home. The rest of the meal went fairly smoothly from then on. The other females chatted about some kind of upcoming festival, and Legolas and his father discussed the various happenings of the kingdom.  
  
Later, as the servants came to remove the dishes, Legolas leaned over and whispered in Cali's ear, "Lady Cali, you have yet to tell me of this fair you were performing at."  
  
Cali swallowed nervously and slightly hung her head. "Right, I did, didn't I?" He grinned at her, his eyes twinkling, silently urging her to continue.  
  
"What are you two whispering about?" Both Legolas and Cali looked up to see Lisandrei watching them with a coy smile upon her lips.  
  
"Lady Cali had promised to tell me about a fair she was performing at before she came here."  
  
At this, everyone looked up, suddenly interested. Legolas's mother said, "You were performing? What were you doing? Please, tell us all."  
  
Cali closed her eyes and sighed. She supposed that she would have to create a past for herself after all and acknowledge that she was an Elf. She could use part of the truth, but just alter it a bit, and she remembered what Legolas had said to her earlier. When he said that she was to fair to be human, then there must be humans around here somewhere; she could use that to explain her parents. But Cali would have to be careful of what she said, she didn't know much about this new world she was in; she also had to be careful to not mention anything about the modern conveniences. Cali softly cleared her throat and looked back up at the others. "Since I promised to tell Legolas about the fair, then I might as well explain how I came to be here and tell a bit of my past. I actually don't know who my real parents are, I was found as an infant by a human couple who raised me. All my life I never knew who or what I really was because of my looks. So I never knew I was an Elf until now."  
  
"Wait," interrupted Déorwin. "You say these humans raised you from an infant. Exactly how old are you?"  
  
Cali raised an eyebrow in question. "Nineteen," she said carefully.  
  
"But that is not possible," Thranduil said speaking up. "How can you be so young? You do not look it."  
  
Cali raised her eyebrows and shook her head. "How old did you think I was?"  
  
"At least somewhere between one and a half thousand to two thousand years."  
  
She gawked at him, hoping she didn't hear him right. "Two thousand? Um..alright," she managed to squeak out. 'I was not expecting to hear that!' Cali thought to herself. Quiet silence followed. Cali didn't know what to say. What could she say, King Thranduil thought she was two thousand years old! How long did Elves normally live?  
  
Legolas could tell Lady Cali was at a loss for words after what his father just said. Though he did agree with him. This girl had to be at least near two thousand. She held and air of age and wisdom about her that a mere nineteen year old would not have. Placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, Legolas said, "Why don't you continue your tale, Lady Cali."  
  
Cali nodded, knowing the sooner she got this over with, the less people would question her. "There is a fair held in our village every year, but I never went to them because I've always had a bit of trouble getting along with the other villagers. From what I learned over the years from my parents, who always went, the fair was set up like a kingdom. There were people who played nobles, and others who played peasants. This year though, some of my friends who worked in the fair, decided that they would use me to play one of the larger roles of the fair. Someone they called the Elven Maiden. And I'm guessing that this Maiden was some sort of princess who ruled over the entire fair. My friends had claimed the usual girl who played the part was unavailable, so they came to me, asking me to play the part. I agreed.  
  
"In the beginning, all I was to do was play my flute and welcome the visitors to the fair in the morning when it opened. I was free after that to do what I wanted until the afternoon when they were to do some sort of play. Not too long after the fair started, I became bored and decided to go riding. My parents had me take an escort so I would not get into any trouble. We had only been in the forest for a few minutes when a fog began to form, and my escort and I where soon separated. I rode around trying to find him when I came upon a clearing. By then, the fog had lifted, and I had no idea of where I was. I had gotten off my horse to rest before trying to find my way out, when a creature appeared scaring off my horse. It tried to attack me, and that's when Legolas and Déorwin came to my rescue."  
  
Cali then stared down at her folded hands, thinking about what she told them. She was mostly going over in her mind of how she arrived here. 'It must have been that ring that old man gave me. But he said it would answer my questions, and I'm still not sure as to what questions he was referring to.' Again the same questions as the first time she contemplated this emerged. 'Who am I? Where did I come from and why am I so different?' Cali was so confused. Suddenly an idea at once, came up and her eyes widened slightly. 'Wait a minute, if that ring was the thing that brought me here, then it should be able to take me back home! But I don't remember taking it off earlier when I bathed. That means it must have fallen off when that creature attacked me! Now how am I supposed to get home?'  
  
She looked up at the others to see Legolas and his parents talking softly to each other in a language she did not understand. The other females were whispering to one another, occasionally giggling. 'But what if that old man planned on this happening. I remember him saying he was the resident wizard of the fair; does that mean he really was one, and he enchanted the ring to take me here? Am I really an elf, and I was just abandoned by my real parents or kidnapped? They all have ears like mine, and they all have said I'm an elf like them. I guess that means I am one of them. But if I'm dreaming, then all that doesn't matter.'  
  
After Cali had finished her tale, Legolas leaned over to talk with his parents. "Poor thing," his mother said. "Growing up without knowing who she was and then loosing her escort to only be attacked by an orc?" Lisandrei reached across the table and placed her hand on her son's. "Legolas, you are to do everything you can to make this girl comfortable here until we locate her family."  
  
Legolas nodded solemnly. "Yes mother."  
  
His father then spoke. "Legolas, why don't you and Déorwin take Lady Cali for a tour of the kingdom, then ask her if she would accompany us to Rivendell. I'm agreeing more and more to the idea that she just may be Lord Elric's lost daughter. But the only thing which troubles me is her age. Elric's daughter had just turned 2, 345, before she disappeared. We will have to talk to Gandalf when we arrive in Rivendell."  
  
Lisandrei nodded. "Yes, go take her into the market now. She's beginning to look a bit uncomfortable."  
  
Nodding again, Legolas caught his friend's attention and motioned to the door. Déorwin nodded. Legolas tapped Cali on the shoulder. "Lady Cali, would you do Déorwin and I the honor of allowing us to show you the city?"  
  
Cali nodded gratefully. She'd had enough time thinking about her situation, and she did want to see more of this place. "Yes, that would nice," she replied. Smiling at her Legolas stood and offered her his hand to help her stand, but Cali again refused it. Before they left though, Thranduil stood and spoke to his son quietly.  
  
"Don't forget to invite her to the festival, and see if you can find out more about her." The Prince nodded and he and Déorwin led Cali out of the room.  
  
------------------------------  
  
Lady Anya watched through narrowed eyes as Legolas and his companion led the girl away from them and out into the city. She continued to glower as she and the other females thanked King Thranduil and his wife for the meal and then left for the market.  
  
"Hey Anya!" Lady Elanor called out as soon as they had reached the courtyard. "Slow down!" Anya's pace slacked slightly allowing the other females to catch up. "If I didn't know any better, I would say that you're trying to follow the Prince and that girl. I think you're jealous that Prince Legolas didn't even acknowledge your presence at the noon meal and spent the entire time talking to that girl and not you."  
  
The redheaded Elf stopped walking and turned to her friends, fire in her eyes. "What makes you think that!? I am not jealous! Why would I want to follow the Prince around when he is fulfilling a request from his father? I just want to get to the market and buy a new gown or maybe some jewelry." With that Anya whirled around and left the other females standing in the courtyard, looking bewildered.  
  
One of the she-Elfs who had long blonde hair and green eyes, shook her head. "I think she is jealous. She's been obsessed with Prince Legolas ever since he briefly commented on her new gown a few weeks back. Come on, we'd better follow her." The other girls nodded and left to follow Anya to make sure she didn't do anything rash.  
  
-------------------------------  
  
Déorwin and Legolas walked on either side of Cali as they led her into the city. There were Elves everywhere: merchants selling their goods, females chatting and shopping, children running around, and a few musicians and entertainers keeping their audiences smiling. In a sense it all reminded Cali of her home, only with no technology whatsoever. She then wondered how they would react to a car. Most likely that not, they would probably try and attempt to kill it with their swords and arrows.  
  
As they passed a group of soldiers talking, one of them departed from the group and stepped up to Legolas. He bowed. "Your Highness. The men and I heard a rumor that you and Déorwin picked up a young woman in the forest. Some say she has the beauty of a Lothlorien Elf. Is this true?"  
  
Legolas smiled and stepped aside, revealing Cali. "Why don't you see for yourself, Tollian?"  
  
Upon realizing she had been revealed, Cali tried to hide behind Legolas again, but Déorwin grabbed her shoulders and stopped her from moving. The solider smiled at her friendly as her looked at her. Suddenly, Tollian's eyes widened and he moved closer to Cali, seeming to want a closer look. It was almost as if he recognized her. Cali raised her browed and stared back at the Elf.  
  
It was then that Tollian noticed the pendant around her neck. He shook he head as if to clear his mind He bowed to her. "I am Tollian, a member of King Thranduil's guard. May I have the pleasure of knowing your name."  
  
As Cali returned his bowed with a fumbled curtsy, she decided against giving him her full name. "My name is Cali."  
  
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Cali. I hope we meet again." He smiled on more ad turned back to the other soldiers.  
  
Legolas then placed his hand on the small of Cali's back. "Come Milady. There is still much we need to show you." Cali mentally rolled her eyes as she allowed the two Elves to take her arms. As Legolas and Déorwin continued to lead her around the city, Cali began, in the depth of her mind, began to plan her escape from this place.  
  
'Hold on,' she told herself. 'I think 'escape' is a bit too strong of a word. My return home sounds so much better.' Granted she was grateful for everything these people had done for her, but she needed to go home. This wasn't her world. But without that ring - when Cali first realized it was gone, she had figured that it was the object that helped bring her here - Cali was unsure that just riding though the forest would work. Although she had to find the city's main gates first.  
  
Cali stole a glance at Legolas. He was smiling and seemed to enjoy explaining everything around them. The Elven Prince intrigued her. Legolas appeared to genuinely like her, even though they'd only met the day before. Cali was unused to people wanting to be around her besides her friends and parents. Then she suddenly felt bad. She didn't want to betray the small amount of friendship and trust they seemed to have built. And she couldn't forget about Legolas's parents and Déorwin. They accepted her and enjoyed her company. Like Legolas, she was afraid of hurting them. 'Buck up girl,' her mind told her soothingly. 'It's better to hurt them now than later. That way the pain with only be short lived.' Cali agreed with the thought as she quietly sighed. She wondered if she could somehow get the two males to show her the way out of the city. Once that was accomplished, she would leave in the morning before any of them saw her.  
  
****  
  
Cali clapped and laughed along with the large crowd that had surrounded the four performers. She tossed a few coins, which Déorwin had given her earlier, into a small bag the men had placed near the crowd to collect money. The performers were men from a village just outside of Mirkwood, and were acrobats who had come into the city to make some money for their families. The mens' knowledge of the Elves had also increased Cali confirmation that she was in another world. A fantasy-like realm. After watching the men perform their last act, Cali fell in step between Legolas and Déorwin as they continued their way around the market. But when they passed a booth, a glimmer caught Cali's eye. She stopped and walked toward the booth, curious as to what caused the glimmer.  
  
The craftsman who stood behind the small stand smiled at Cali as she began to admire the various jewelries. Normally Cali didn't like wearing jewelry much because she thought it was too feminine, but she didn't mind wearing a necklace or a bracelet every now and again. The piece which had caught her eye, was a silver bracelet consisting of two dragons entwined about each other. The dragons' mouths were open with a small white stone incased in them, and their eyes were made from a blue jewel that sparkled in the sunlight.  
  
Déorwin and Legolas stood behind Cali and watched her admire the silver bracelet. The Elf Prince then held up a tiny leather bag, and nodded to his companion. He handed the craftsman a few coins and picked up the bracelet. Taking Cali's hand in his, Legolas slid the wristlet onto her wrist. Cali looked up at the two Elves and raised an eyebrow in suspicion then gazed at the ornament now adorning her wrist.  
  
"If there is a reason for this," she said indicating the bracelet, "I don't think I want to know." Cali then left the two male Elves standing where they were and walked off further into the market.  
  
"What did she mean by that?" Déorwin asked his friend.  
  
Legolas shook his head. "I have no idea. Come on, we'd better catch up to her. I still need to invite her to the festival." With that, the two friends walked hurriedly after Cali.  
  
---------------------------  
  
Knowing that her two "escorts" would try and follow her, Cali ducked in and out of alleyways and slid between groups of elves. After she was sure that she had successfully evaded them, Cali managed to find her way back to the palace grounds and with the help of one of the servants, to the stables. She wanted to find Astalder and see how he was faring in this strange and new world. When she entered the stables, her black Friesian poked his large head over the stall door and nickered at her. Cali smiled and walked over to him, gently stroking his nose. Astalder nickered again and moved to nudge her forehead with his. Looking around, Cali saw a few brushes laying on a bench, so she grabbed one and moved into her horse's stall so she could brush him, humming a soft tune to herself.  
  
It wasn't until about twenty minutes later when Legolas and Déorwin finally found her. They had scoured the marketplace when one of the merchants spoke up and informed them that he had seen an Elven girl with long brown hair heading back toward the palace. They thanked him and all but ran back to the palace grounds. There, they learned from a servant that Cali and gone to the stables. It was there that they found her humming to herself while she brushed her horse. They stood back a ways, not wanting to alert Cali to their presence yet. Then her voice rang out like a clear bell through the air.  
  
"I know you guys are there, so you might as well come over here." Déorwin and Leoglas looked at each other before walking slowly to the stall where they found Cali grooming her horse.  
  
Legolas reached out and stroked the animal's neck. He briefly wondered where she bought him. Even throughout his travels with the Fellowship, he had never come across a horse breed like this before. "He is a wonderful mount, Lady Cali. Where did you get him? And what breed is he, for I have never seen a horse breed such as his."  
  
Cali placed the brush on the ground and began to stroke Astalder's neck. "He's a Friesian. My parents bought him for me when I was nine. Though we had a few other horses back home, they wanted me to have a horse to call my own. They had taken me to a farm a few hours north of our home, where the farmer had a few horses for sale. When we got there, I took one look at Astalder and fell in love with him."  
  
The two male Elves nodded and silence ensued. Wanting to break the silence, Déorwin nudged Legolas with his elbow and mouthed to him, 'Ask her!'  
  
Taking a deep breath, Legolas asked, "Lady Cali, next week my family will be attending a festival in Rivendell, and my father had wondered if you would join us?"  
  
Cali leaned against her horse's shoulder and thought about. While she didn't want to go someplace new seeing as she was still adjusting to here, but finding an answer to her origins was appealing. Maybe someone could help her in this 'Rivendell'. "Alright, I'll go," she answered. Legolas and Déorwin grinned at each other and watched Cali finish groom her horse.  
  
------------------------------  
  
Hidden in the shadow of an empty stall, a figure sat crouched, listening carefully to the conversation of the three elves. The figure's eyes narrowed as Cali consented to accompany them to the festival. 'Great, now she'll be around the Prince the entire time. But when I'm done, she'll wish she had never left her village.'  
  
------------------------------  
  
Cali sighed inwardly as she once again found herself surrounded by Elves in the Dining Hall. She really didn't want to be around anyone at the time and the corset she was wearing wasn't helping the situation at all. Cali still couldn't believe she had to wear one. Not only was the thing suffocating, but also she was surprised she was even able to sit down. Cali absently rubbed her side as she thought back to earlier that day when the female elf who attended to her that morning, suddenly showed up and immediately ushered her off. Cali had been in the middle of braiding the top part of Astalder's tail, while Legolas told her about Rivendell and the festival they would be attending.  
  
Cali had just tied off the end of the braid when the she-elf, Nadia, walked into the stall, seized her arm, and literally dragged her back to the room she had awoken in. As Nadia began to strip Cali out of the clothes she was wearing, Nadia kept muttering something about only having two hours to ready Cali for the evening meal. Cali had allowed the elf to do what she wanted until Nadia revealed the corset. They proceeded to argued for about twenty minutes, Cali refusing to wear it, and Nadia claiming that Cali would never fit into the dress unless she wore the corset. And Queen Lisandrei had provided the dress, so Cali had to wear it to show her gratitude. Granted when all was said and done, Cali had gazed at herself in the mirror and admitted she looked good. When Déorwin and the Prince showed up to escort her, Cali briefly wondered how she was going to sit down, much less eat anything. Although it required Cali to suck in a deep breath and use the back of the chair and edge of the table to do it once they arrived in the hall, she was able to sit.  
  
"So tell me, Lady Cali," said King Thranduil once the meal was underway. "What do you think of our city?"  
  
Cali froze and blinked repeatedly while she tried to think of something to say. After a few seconds of uncomfortable silence, she was able to stammer out, "Um..well..it's..uh..nice. Your city is - uh - very nice. The marketplace was very interesting as well." 'Ha! That's a lie and you know it!' her mind almost screamed at her. 'You were bored out of your mind. The only interesting part of the excursion were those performers and being able to find your way to the stables. Just don't let anyone see that trinket 'round your wrist. Who knows what kind of rumors may get started if anyone discovered the Prince gave it to you. They might think you were falling for each other, and you know very well that would ruin your reputation for never letting any male near you. But then again it's already ruined since you let them parade you around this place!' Internally wincing from the lecture her mind just gave her, Cali prepared to ask if she could be excused to go back to her 'room' seeing as her appetite had seemed to have left her, Queen Lisandrei suddenly pointed at her wrist.  
  
"Lady Cali," she asked as she slightly leaned over the table for a better look. "What is that around your wrist?" Cali's eyes trailed down until they rested on the bracelet. 'Oh crud! She noticed!' She quickly hid her wrist under the table, but it was too late. Legolas's mother had already stood and was making her way toward Cali. Once she was behind Cali's chair, the Queen reached down and picked up Cali's wrist, revealing the bracelet to everyone. "Oh, this is lovely," she exclaimed. "Did my son get this for you?"  
  
Cali swallowed and just stared at her wrist. What was she going to say? Before she could utter a word though, Legolas spoke up. "Déorwin and I had seen her eyeing the bracelet while we were in the market so we put together our money and bought it." The Queen smiled in delight and walked back to the seat next to her husband, continuing to smile at Cali. Not enjoying being stared at, Cali again prepared to ask if she could be excused when a guard ran into the room.  
  
"Forgive me for the intrusion, your Highness," the guard said bowing, "but there is a strange sound coming from the Lady's Cali's chambers." Cali's head snapped up in attention. The others sitting around her looked at her in question.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 


	6. Messages from home

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Chapter five: Messages From Home  
  
"I - uh - I don't know what it could be," she said standing quickly. As Cali walked swiftly out of the room with the others following her, she muttered under her breath, "I wonder if my disk player was bumped and accidentally turned on." 'You know,' her mind told her, 'this could be a very bad thing if these Elves caught sight of your stuff. They would probably think even your wristwatch was from Hell or something.' As Cali neared 'her' chamber, she could hear a faint beeping noise coming from one of the bags that were still sitting on the bed. Cali first threw open the bag containing her clothes, ignoring the Elves who had gathered around her. Not discovering what made the noise, Cali moved on to the next bag. Feeling around, her hand suddenly swept across a firm leather case. Narrowing her eyes, Cali pulled the rectangular case out of her bag, causing the faint beeping noise to grow a bit louder than before, but still muffled. 'How in the world did they get this in here without me noticing?' She then noticed a note pinned on the case. It was a note from her friends.  
  
Dear Cali,  
We know that you would have kicked yourself once you've realized that you left this at home, so we just packed it up for you. We also included several of those prototype batteries Cora's father was working on. You remember, the ones you can recharge in direct sunlight (takes four hours) and last up to a month? We're sure you'll make use of them; we gave you three plus the one we stuck in. Hope you're not mad at us! Oh, we also turned on the alert . thingy. That way it will beep every time you have e- mail or someone wants to talk to you through instant messaging.  
Love,  
~Leanna, Jenae, Sida, & Cora~ PS: While you weren't looking, we placed several extra . goodies . in your bag we thought you might like to have. Have fun!  
  
Cali shook her head and smiled slightly. She wasn't surprise in the least; her friends would do something like this. It was then that she realized the Elves standing around her. If she revealed her laptop, it would send her proposed history packing. She couldn't let them know that she was from another dimension. Then she got an idea. Slipping her hand inside the case, Cali felt around for the battery case. Once finding it, she managed to open it and slide part of the batteries out, successfully stopping the beeping. Cali turned slowly until she was facing the Elves, a sheepish grin on her face.  
  
"What was that noise? And what was the thing which was making it?" asked Legolas.  
  
Cali shut her eyes and rubbed her neck. This was hard, she didn't want to lie to them, but how was she going to explain a computer to them? "I - uh - um - it was -"  
  
"If you don't want to tell us now, that is fine," said King Thranduil, coming to Cali's aid. Cali let out the breath she was holding; she nodded her thanks. Placing his hand on his wife's shoulder, Legolas's father began to lead them out of the room but Cali stayed behind. Thranduil looked back at her. "Are you not coming Lady Cali?"  
  
Cali shook her head. "No thank you, your Majesty. I don't have much of an appetite this evening."  
  
He nodded. "Very well. I will bid you good night then. Quel esta (rest well), Lady Cali."  
  
"Um, good night," Cali answered. The others bade her good night and left as well. As soon as they were gone, Cali let out a heavy sigh and fell onto the bed. Reaching over, she drew her laptop out from its case and placed the battery back in its case. She turned it on and shoved her clothing back in her bag as she waited for it to power up. As quickly as she could, Cali opened her e-mail account and scanned her messages. She had a few old ones from a few days ago, but there was a new one. Cali couldn't understand it. Here she was in another world that didn't even have electricity, and she was getting e-mails. It couldn't, shouldn't be possible. She then looked at the sender's address; it was from Sida, sent under an hour ago. Cali opened it and scanned the message.  
  
CALI!!!! Where are you? Everyone is worried sick about you! Leanna said you had gone for a ride in the forest, but you never returned. Now I'm seriously glad we snuck your laptop into your bags. If you get this, please, send us a message, or something! We need to know you're alright.  
~Sida~  
  
Cali sighed and shook her head. 'Right. Now I know I'm dreaming. There is no way I could have gotten this if this was the real word. There's no connection to the Internet. ' She stared at the note, reading it over and over again. 'But if this is a dream, then I can send a note back. I think. This had so better be a dream.' Opening a fresh page, Cali began to type rapidly.  
  
Sida,  
I can't really tell you where I am because I don't know. I don't know how I came to be here, nor do I know how I will get home. I will though, ask the people who found me if there is someone here who can help. Tell my parents that I'm fine, there is no need to worry.  
~Cali~  
  
Cali's finger hovered over the send button, afraid that if she sent it, her fears would come true and it wouldn't go through to her world. Gathering her confidence, she pressed the send button and fell back onto the bed. She released a deep sigh and looked out her window. Cali rolled off the bed and walked to the balcony. A warm breeze was blowing and she smiled. Looking to her left, Cali saw the sun setting. The sky was a mix of orange and pink, and the clouds had bright purple shadows. The sun was setting behind a long range of mountains, casting long shadows everywhere. Suddenly hearing sounds coming from below her, Cali leaned against the railing and gazed down at the scene below her. Her balcony was situated near some sort of weapons range. There were Elves practicing their skills with archery and others sparring with swords and long, wooden staffs. To the left of the archery area was a dirt arena where some Elves where working with their horses. Cali noted briefly that all the horses were either white or a light gray; not one had a dark coat. Looking back to where some were working with the staffs, Cali could see Déorwin and Legolas sparring against each other. Neither was losing, nor was either winning. Then Legolas suddenly looked in her direction, their gaze locking. In that split-second of distraction, Déorwin slipped the end of his staff behind Legolas's legs, tripping him, and causing him to fall hard on his back. Cali gave the dark haired Elf a thumbs up, smiling faintly, but it quickly faded as she walked away.  
  
She then headed back to the bed where her laptop sat, and turned it off, not bothering to see if her message came through. She slipped it back in its case and set the machine on the desk. Cali then proceeded to change into something more comfortable. After slipping on a pair of dark red flannel pants and a white tank top, Cali set her bags in the armoire and walked into the washroom. She noticed a clay basin of water on a stone table under the mirror. Apparently some of the servants placed the basin of water on the table just after she had left for dinner. She washed her face and wiped down her arms and legs then settled herself on the bed with a book and her cd player. She pressed play and quietly sang along with the music.  
  
~"One day, one night, one moment, My dreams could be, tomorrow. One step, one fall, one falter, East or West, over earth or by ocean. One way to be my journey, This way could be my book of days."~  
  
Sooner than she hoped Cali was lulled to sleep, her music still playing.  
  
-----------------------------  
  
After leaving Cali's room, Legolas realized he was no longer hungry. He was so confused by her actions that day, he didn't know how to react. Shaking his head, Legolas turned to Déorwin and suggested they get some light sparring done while it was still light outside. Once at the training grounds, the two male Elves stretched their muscles before picking up their staffs and turning to face each other. "Hey, Déorwin?" Legolas asked as he blocked an attack. "What do you think that thing was in Lady Cali's chamber that was making that noise? Do you suppose it could have been a pet of some kind she kept hidden?"  
  
Déorwin shrugged and sidestepped a swing from Legolas's staff. "I don't think it could have been an animal. The thing was too flat and too still to have been alive. Why don't you go ask her in the morning? Maybe she'll tell you."  
  
Legolas shook his head. "No. I don't want to make her any more uncomfortable and uneasy than she already is."  
  
The dark haired elf stopped in mid swing and straightened. A mischievous smile crept across his lips as he titled his head to the side. "Legolas. Are you getting shy?" Grinning, he ducked as his opponent's staff came toward his head. Déorwin smiled and engaged back in combat. Suddenly, Legolas stopped his attacks and lifted his head toward the palace. Déorwin took this opportunity to slip the end of his staff behind Legolas's knees. He then flicked it forward, causing the blonde elf's knees to buckle, making him fall hard on his back.  
  
"Oomph!" Legolas grunted as his breath was knocked out of him.  
  
Laughing, Déorwin turned and looked to see what had caught his Prince's gaze. On a balcony overlooking the grounds was the she-Elf, Calithradë. She was laughing and shaking her head. She then raised a fist in the air with her thumb sticking out. Déorwin was confused as to what this gesture meant, but smiled and waved back. The Lady Calithradë waved back to him as well and turned to go back inside her room. Déorwin continued to laugh as his gaze returned to rest on his fallen friend. "I never thought I would see the day when you were distracted during a spar by a female, Legolas. And one you met only today, no less."  
  
Legolas rolled his blue eyes and picked himself up off the ground. His face grew serious. "And you shall not see it happen again, mellon." He picked up his staff and held the weapon in front of him. "Are we going to continue, or do you still wish to annoy me with your tauntings?" he asked.  
  
Déorwin's smile faded and he nodded, slipping back into a defensive position. "As you wish, my Prince." The Prince of Mirkwood nodded back and they continued to spar until the sun at last disappeared over the mountains and darkness settled over the land.  
  
----------------------------------------  
  
Sida tapped her foot impatiently against the stage floor and glanced at her watch. The noon show was to start in twenty minutes and Cali had yet to return. Leanna had told her that Cali left for a ride in the woods and would come back in an hour or so. But three hours passed and there was no sign of her. Sida was becoming worried.  
  
At the sound of footsteps echoing off the wooden floor, Sida raised her head in hopes the footsteps belonged to Cali. It was Ryan and a few of the other young men. Ryan looked at her with solemn eyes. "Has she returned?" Sida asked him.  
  
He shook his head. "No she hasn't. And her parents have been looking for her." Sida nodded and turned to face the forest. Stepping up to her side, Ryan asked, "Do you think we should send some people out to look for her?"  
  
The black-haired female walked forward and sat with her feet hanging over the edge of the stage. Ryan sat beside her. "I don't know Ryan. I mean, this isn't totally unlike Cali. She's known to disappear into the forest for hours at a time; sometimes all daylong. I know I shouldn't be worried about her, but I can't help feeling like she's in danger of some kind. Wherever she is, she's in trouble." As she sighed, Sida looked out over the grounds and as children ran around and other fair-goers enjoyed themselves, she smiled. She looked back at Ryan. "Ryan, can you still do the show without her?" He nodded.  
  
"Yeah sure. I can get one of the other girls to do it." Sida nodded her head in agreement and watched as he stood and left to prepare for the show. Looking back at the crowd, Sida jumped off her perch on the stage and mingled herself among the people.  
  
Several hours passed and Cali still had not returned. Sida was now pacing inside the main tent. Cali's parents had approached her repeatedly throughout the day looking for Cali. The first time they just nodded knowingly - they also know of Cali's tendency to disappear when she wanted to -. But by the third or fourth time, the two adults had become worried and frustrated. Sida and the others repeatedly assured them that as soon as they received word from Cali, they would call them. The fair was winding down and her parents had left several minutes ago still distressed, but slightly comforted by Sida's assurance. Sida stopped pacing as someone entered the tent and called her name.  
  
"Sida." It was Cora.  
  
Sida smiled half-heartedly. "Any word?"  
  
Cora shook her head. "No. Ryan and the others should be back any minute now, though." She looked out of the tent entrance and to the forest. "I hope they find some trace of her." It was then that Jenae and Leanna suddenly burst into the tent.  
  
"Guys!" cried Jenae. "I just developed a crazy idea but it might work!"  
  
"What are you talking about?" asked Sida.  
  
"Well," said Leanna. "When Cali left for her ride, one of the stable boys mentioned she had taken her saddle bags with her. And as far as I know, she hadn't unpacked them yet. But he also mentioned that she had a nice array of weapons with her. I wonder what she was doing with those." The last part was muttered more to herself on confusion.  
  
After a moment of silence, realization dawned in the other girls' eyes. "The laptop! We snuck her laptop in one of her saddle bags back at the house," Sida realized. She rushed to her own bags in a corner of the tent and pulled out a flat, black computer. "Thank the gods we live in the twenty-first century." Computer in hand, the four girls sprinted across the fair grounds to the nearest house, which happened to belong to Cora. Ryan and some of the other men who had left to search for Cali were walking down the road as the four girls ran past them. He looked after them and with a nod from one of the men, followed the four females.  
  
"Hey, Sida! Wait up!" he called.  
  
Sida stopped and turned. She smiled when she saw him. "Did you find anything?" she asked as they caught up with the others.  
  
"Well, we found something," he said. "I'll show you when we get to wherever you're going." Sida nodded. Soon they reached Cora's home and the five dashed inside. Cora slid into the seat in front of the computer and switched it on. "What are you doing?" Ryan asked, confused as to why they were using a computer.  
  
"Cali has her laptop with her," Sida explained. "While we were packing her things, we snuck her laptop into one of her bags when she wasn't looking. We can send her an e-mail."  
  
Ryan raised an eyebrow in unbelief. "But she's lost in a forest or who else knows where. I seriously doubt she has connection to the internet, wherever she is. So tell me, how then are you supposed to send her an e- mail?"  
  
Cora just smiled and allowed Sida to take her place at the computer. "That's easy. You know how my father works at Hamersfield Technology, right?"  
  
"Yeah, so?"  
  
"Well, a couple of years ago my father's boss gave Cali a laptop as payment for helping settle a dispute between their company and a rival one the previous summer and-"  
  
"Even though Cali claims she didn't do a thing except throw out her usual sarcasm," interrupted Jenae.  
  
Cora rolled her eyes and continued. "-and to test their newest product."  
  
"Product?"  
  
"Yeah. The laptop has a built in satellite allowing the user access to the internet and have the ability to send e-mail."  
  
"Oh," was all Ryan said.  
  
"There," said Sida suddenly. "Let's hope she gets it." Then looking at Ryan she asked, "Ryan, you said you guys had found something during your search."  
  
"Oh, right." He dug into the bag at his side and withdrew a ring with a black jewel. "We found this in a clearing next to some hoof prints. I don't know if Cali owned something like this, but it was all we found." He handed the ring to Leanna who studied it, turning it over and over in her hands. Suddenly her eyes lit up.  
  
"I remember something. This morning when Cali returned from exploring the faire, I noticed she had a black ring on her finger. I just assumed it was something she bought along with the weapons she had with her. I didn't think anything else of it."  
  
Jenae seemed to be thinking hard as well. "Leanna, those weapons she had. Did they consist of a bow, sword, arrows, and two long knives?"  
  
Leanna nodded. "Yeah, they did. Gorgeous things they were. Why do you ask?"  
  
"When I stopped by the blacksmith's to see if he had anything to donate for the volunteer's drawing, he was examining a small pouch filled with gold coins and jewels. When I asked him where they came from, he mentioned that an old man gave them to him as payment for a set of Mystic weaponry he had had on display. Apparently the old man purchased the weapons for a young lady with brown and in a green dress. 'Looked very mystic herself' he said. It had to Cali."  
  
"Did the blacksmith know who the old man was?" Cora asked.  
  
Jenae shrugged. "I don't know. I didn't think to ask. Sorry."  
  
Sida put a hand on Jenae's shoulder. "It's alright. We can go talk to the blacksmith again in the morning. Maybe he'll remember what the old man looked like." The others nodded and began discussing other reasons for Cali's disappearance.  
  
The group had been talking for several minutes when a beep sounded, startling them. A message box had appeared on the computer screen, alerting them to incoming mail. They all stared at each other, silent. Sida turned in the chair to face the screen. She moved the mouse to the 'receive' button. Her hand hovered over the mouse, unsure of what to do.  
  
"Do it Sida," said Ryan. All held their breath as Sida clicked 'receive'. A message appeared on the screen. "Who's 'Highlander'?" Ryan asked pointing to the sender's name.  
  
"It's Cali," replied Sida. "That's her alias on the Net." She smiled as she opened the letter. "She must have gotten our message."  
  
"Read it out loud," said Cora.  
  
"Alright. 'Sida, I can't really tell you where I am because I don't know. I don't know how I came to be here, nor do I know how I will get home. I will though, ask the people who found me if there is someone here who can help. Tell my parents that I'm fine, there is no need to worry. ~Cali~'" Sida finished and looked up at the others. "At least we know she's safe," she said.  
  
"We just have no idea where she is or how to get to her," said Leanna.  
  
"Yeah, but Cali has not idea where she is or how she got there either," replied Sida.  
  
Ryan shifted and held out the ring. "Send her another note. Ask her about the ring and the old man who bought her those weapons this morning." Nodding, Sida turned and typed a reply.  
  
"Done," she said a few minutes later. "All we can do now is wait for her to reply."  
  
Leanna shook her head. "Yeah. If she replies." When the others looked at her with glances mixed with worry and confusion, she just shrugged her shoulders. "I'm serious. For all we know Cali's computer could get damaged and then she'll have no way to talk to us."  
  
Cora protested. "But it's one of the best out there! It's top-line. I mean, it's built to be protect-"  
  
"It doesn't matter Cora," Leanna interrupted. "It's still a computer and computers break. Besides, she is not going to be able to use those solar batteries forever." The group was silent. No one said anything for a long while. They were all mulling over what was said. What were they going to do?  
  
Soon Jenae broke the silence by saying, "Guys, what are we going to tell Cali's parents?"  
  
"Nothing," said Sida. "We won't tell them anything until we hear from Cali again." Sida stood and led the way to the front door. "Come on, let's get back to the fair area. There are still things that need to be done before the evening ends." With that said, the others stood and followed her out the door.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 


	7. An escape into memories

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Chapter six: An Escape into Memories  
  
Cali awoke to someone calling her name and gently shaking her shoulder. She opened her eyes to see Nadia standing over her. "Milady, it is time to wake and start the new day." The she-Elf then walked to the door and opened it to allow other servants in, all of whom were carrying jars of hot water like the day before. Cali slowly sat up, then realized she still had her headphones on. She quickly took them off, hoping Nadia hadn't noticed them yet. Slipping her cd player under the pillow, Cali stood and bent over to stretch her legs.  
  
When she straightened she asked, "Nadia, what time is it?"  
  
"It is mid-morning. Now go wash; I've already laid out your clothing. You need to hurry, Déorwin will be here in a bit to take you to the dinning hall." Nadia motioned to the washroom and looked at Cali expectantly. Taking the hint, Cali scampered off so she could avoid another debate with the female Elf.  
  
After washing, Cali looked at the clothing Nadia laid out for her. It was a light, purple dress along with white, short boots and a dreaded corset. Though this time, Cali was determined to wear something of her own choosing. She wrapped the white towel firmly around her and peered out the door into her room. It was deserted. Cali quickly rushed to the armoire and grabbed her bags, taking them back to the bathroom with her. After sifting through them, Cali decided on a pair of loose, white pants and a white peasant shirt; she also placed on the white boots that were with the dress. She then gathered her bags and walked out of the small room. As she placed the bags back where she got them, she briefly wondered if she should bother putting her things away in the various drawers and on the hangers. Cali decided against it since she did not know for how much longer she would be there. She then sat at what she figured was the vanity table and began to slowly brush her hair till it was somewhat dry. Placing the brush back on the table, Cali gazed at her reflection. Her hair was curling slightly from being wet, and framed her face. She reached for her small makeup bag and pulled out a white eyeliner. She outlined her eyes lightly, then deemed herself done.  
  
But as Cali sat waiting for Déorwin to come for her, the more she wanted to be alone. It wasn't that she didn't like being around these people, they had been kind to her, and Cali just felt she needed some time to herself. She wanted to explore the grounds by herself, without someone watching over her. Cali stood and walked past her bed to the balcony. She looked out the grounds below her. No one was out yet. Her eyes then traveled to the arena. She thought of Astalder; he needed some attention. Suddenly there a knock on the door.  
  
"Uh, come in!" Cali called, walking away from the balcony and to meet whoever knocked. The door opened and Nadia, followed by Déorwin, walked in. Nadia took one look at Cali's clothing and opened her mouth to protest.  
  
"Lady Cali! You should not be wearing such attire!"  
  
Cali stared at her. "There is no way I am wearing a corset ever again. It was painful to wear, not to mention a pain to take off. And I can't forget the fact that I really do hate wearing dresses." Nadia's eyes widened. It wasn't that she was surprised at what Cali said, but that Cali said it in front of Déorwin.  
  
Déorwin raised a hand. "It is quite alright, Nadia. Lady Cali looks fine." He turned and held out his arm to Cali. "Now, shall we head down to the Dinning Hall to break our fast?"  
  
Cali looked at him and backed a step. She sighed and said uncertainly, "Um, do you think I could possibly just eat in here, alone? I sort of want to be on my own today. If that's okay."  
  
Déorwin lowered his arm and studied the younger girl's face. He understood. She was in a strange land she did not know and away from people she knew. He nodded and said softly, "I will have some food sent to your room. Farewell, milady. May our paths cross again today." Cali nodded her thanks and watched as the Elf left the room, disappearing down the hall. She then raised a hand in Nadia's direction, silencing her before she could speak.  
  
"Please, Nadia, don't say anything. I know what you want to say, but I'm not in the mood for a lecture." Nadia once again tried to speak but Cali silenced her. "Nadia, I'm not trying to be disrespectful. These people have been very generous toward me since I arrived here and I am truly grateful. I just need some time to myself, okay?" Slightly taken aback, Nadia curtsied and left the room. Cali sighed and looked after the female Elf. She shook her head. Turning, Cali walked back to the balcony. She didn't want to wait around for the food to come; she needed to get out. In truth Cali was hungry, and should have gone with Déorwin to breakfast, but she severely needed to sort some things out in her head. And to do this, Cali would need to find a way to the stables without running into one of the others. She leaned over the railing to see how far it was from the ground.  
  
"Dang. It's too far," she muttered. There was a tree nearby but she could never jump that far without the possibility of getting hurt. Along the palace walls near the balcony, there were some vines climbing up them, but they would never hold her weight; the vines were too thin and weak. What she needed was a rope; then she could escape the old fashioned way. Cali wondered if bed sheets really worked. She gazed back at the bed, then at the balcony. It would have to work. There was no other way she knew to get to the ground and not run into any of the Elves. Walking quickly to the bed, Cali stripped off the sheets and proceeded to tie knots every two or so feet. Once she was satisfied it was sufficient, Cali tied one end to the balcony railing and tossed the rest over the edge. It of course didn't reach the ground, but it was far enough to get down safely. Cali then swung her leg over the balcony rail and hoisted herself over the edge. She slowly lowered her body till she could firmly grasp the bed sheet in her hands. When she had a good grip, Cali climbed down as quickly as she could. The knotted sheet stopped about midway between the balcony and the ground. Cali looked down, decided it was a safe enough distance and let go of the sheet, allowing herself to fall to the ground. She landed on her feet, bending her knees to help absorb the force of the impact. Cali stood and ran to the stables.  
  
Once there, she slid to a stop in front of Astalder's stall. Cali reached up and stroked his neck while she looked around. Where could they have put her things? Suddenly, a younger looking Elf walked into the stable. He stopped at the sight of Cali. Cali looked at him and asked, "You there. Were you here when they brought this horse in yesterday?"  
  
"Y-yes, I was. Are you the Lady the Prince and Lord Déorwin found in the forest?"  
  
Cali smiled lightly. "Good. Do you know where they put the things which were with this horse? There should also be a sword, bow, arrows, and two long knives as well."  
  
The Elf nodded and motioned Cali to follow him. "Yes, they were placed in an empty tack room, my Lady. Please, follow me." The young male Elf the led Cali down one of the alleyways and into a room. There, she found her saddle mounted on a type of saddle rack and her bridle hanging on one of the various hooks. Then on a table against the wall, were her weapons. She let loose the breath she didn't know she was holding.  
  
Cali turned to the Elf and smiled. "Thank you. What is your name?"  
  
The young Elf smiled in return and bowed. "My name is Adonas, my Lady."  
  
"And I am Calithradë. Thank you again for showing me my things." Adonas bowed again and left Cali with her equipment. Looking at her saddle, she decided it would take too long to saddle Astalder, so she opted for riding bareback. Before leaving though, Cali grabbed the two long knives and strapped them to her back. Remembering her encounter with the orc, Cali knew she should be armed and ready in case a situation like before arose again. Grabbing the bridle, Cali rushed out of the room and to Astalder's stall. When she got to her horse's stall, she opened the stall door and threw the bridle on him. She led him out, down the alleyway, and outside. Cali then reached, grabbed part of Astalder's mane, and using most of her upper body strength, hoisted herself onto his back. She took hold of the reins and nudged Astalder with her heels, urging him into a canter. As they moved across the grounds, Cali tried to remember how to get out of the city. She recalled from the day before seeing a large archway in one part of the city, leading into the forest. There was also a path; she remembered Legolas saying that if one followed the path, it would lead the person out of Mirkwood. She knew that was where she needed to go. As Cali looked back at the palace, she regretted leaving; she knew they would become upset when they discovered she was gone. Not to mention all her things were still in her room. She shook her head and focused on finding her way through the city. She would be seen of course, but at the moment she didn't care. Cali just needed to get out of there.  
  
Cali soon became less nervous about being seen as she entered the courtyard. Several of the servants and guards jumped out of the way as she moved through. One or two guards ran inside the palace, no doubt to inform Thranduil of her flight. As soon as they cleared the courtyard, Cali urged Astalder into a gallop and they went swiftly into the city. After trying to doge the people and jumping over other various objects, Cali could soon see the archway and the path. She smiled as they passed under the arch and into the forest. Cali made it, but she would have to continue going as fast as possible to stay ahead of the others in case they followed her.  
  
-------------------------------  
  
Déorwin frowned to himself as he made his way back to the dinning hall. That girl was strange. She seemed to enjoy their company when she first arrived, but now, she did not want to be around anyone. He did have sympathy for her though; he only wished there was something he could do to help. As Déorwin drew closer to the dinning hall, he began to become more worried about how the others would react to him arriving without Lady Cali. He knew the Queen had taken a liking to Lady Cali, King Thranduil as well. He didn't know about the Prince though. Legolas has never been so distracted by a female before, especially during a sparring match. A horde a gorgeous she-Elves could be surrounding him, trying to gain his attention, and Legolas would act like they didn't even exist. Now, one glimpse of Lady Cali and he freezes. Déorwin smiled; Legolas obviously liked her, he just wouldn't admit it. So how was he supposed to explain Lady Cali wouldn't join them?  
  
Upon entering the dinning hall, Déorwin heard chairs scrape back as the men stood. He gazed up to see everyone looking at him expectantly. The hall was silent, until King Thranduil turned to him and spoke.  
  
"Where is Lady Cali, Déorwin?" he asked.  
  
Déorwin swallowed audibly and took a deep breath. "Um . Lady Cali . she . wanted to be alone. I was going to have some food sent up to her."  
  
Still standing, Thranduil walked up to Déorwin. "Is something wrong with her?"  
  
"I-" started Déorwin but he was interrupted when two guards ran into the hall.  
  
"Your Highness, Lady Cali, she has." one of the guards paused.  
  
Thranduil looked at them, eyes narrowing and suspicion lacing his voice. "What about Lady Cali?"  
  
The guard who spoke looked at his companion, then back to their King. "She has . I don't think 'escaped' is the right word. Just minutes ago she was seen riding through the city. She was heading for the Aisir. We believe she is trying to get out of Mirkwood."  
  
"By the Valar," Thranduil whispered under his breath. "Gather others and search the woods surrounding the city. Legolas," Thranduil said turning to where his son sat, only to find the chair empty. Quickly turning to Déorwin he said, "Go with Legolas. I want you two to follow the main path. With luck, you may catch up with her. Asca (hurry)." Déorwin nodded and ran to the stables where he knew the Prince was headed.  
  
Déorwin arrived to find Legolas swiftly saddling his horse. The dark haired Elf said nothing as he as well began to ready his own horse. Within minutes they were leading their horses out of the stable. Before mounting the Elf said, "Don't worry Legolas. We'll find her." Legolas looked at his friend and nodded. They mounted and galloped away from the palace grounds, through the city, and into the woods. They followed the path for over an hour but with no sign of Cali. The two Elven warriors were fast becoming frustrated. Upon finding a stream which crossed the path, the Elves dismounted and allowed their horses to rest and drink the water.  
  
Allowing his horse's reins to fall to the ground, Legolas jumped over the stream to study the dirt path. He could see another horse's hoof prints, but the earth was churned like the animal had become confused and tried to escape from something. Legolas closely followed the prints to see where they lead. The prints soon ran off the path to the right and into the woods. Something glittering in the dirt suddenly caught his eye. Legolas picked the object up and brushed the dirt off. It was the bracelet he and Déorwin bought Lady Cali the day before. 'She must have come this way,' he thought to himself. He stood and looked in the direction the prints headed. Then Déorwin called to him.  
  
"Hey Legolas! You'd better come look at this!" Legolas turned and jogged back to the stream. Déorwin was holding a piece of parchment and a dagger. "I found this on one of the trees. Whoever wrote it, is either after or already has Lady Cali." He handed the note to the Elf Prince. Legolas's eyes narrowed as he read it.  
  
~Now it begins. She has been chosen.~  
  
"What do you think it means, 'Now it begins'? What is beginning?" Legolas shook his head.  
  
"I don't know, but look what I found." He held out his hand, revealing the bracelet to his companion. "The hoof prints which surrounded the bracelet were heading off in that direction." Legolas pointed in the direction he came from. He picked up his horses reins and said, "Come, we must hurry. Darkness still lurks in these woods. Who knows what will cross Lady Cali's path." The two Elves mounted their horses and rode off the path in the direction Legolas had pointed.  
  
--------------------------------  
  
The quick beats of Astalder's hooves thundered soundlessly in Cali's ears as they fled down the forest path. Cali had been riding for a few hours and she knew her horse - not to mention herself - needed a rest, but she didn't want Legolas or one of the others to catch up with them. It they caught her, another escape like this one would be impossible. Sighing in frustration, Cali looked up and saw a stream flowing near the path; she smiled. Thinking it would only take a few minutes to rest and refresh themselves, Cali halted Astalder and dismounted. She led him over to the water and allowed him to drink. Cali knelt and drank some of the water herself. As she brought a cupped hand of the cool water to her mouth, an arrow flew over her head, embedding itself in a tree. She looked up to see several more arrows fly through the air followed by cries and shrieks. Within seconds over a dozen creatures similar to the one that attacked her the day before - what did Legolas call them? Orcs? - stormed onto the path. They surrounded her and Astalder. Cali's horse tossed his head and attempted to storm past the creatures but they drew their swords and forced him back. Cali ran to him and grabbed his reins, trying to calm him down. She looked around at the screaming Orcs immediately deciding that the only way past these things would be to run over them.  
  
As she tossed the reins over Astalder's neck and prepared to mount him, some of the Orcs suddenly parted to allow a clocked person the enter the circle. The stranger raised an arm and the creatures quickly quieted. He stepped up to Cali and she backed away, tightening her hold of Astalder's reins. She glared at the stranger and reached behind her to grab one of her knives.  
  
"Do not be so quick to defend yourself young Calithradë. I will not harm you," the person said. It was a man. His voice was deep and raspy. He raised a large hand and lowered the hood of his cloak. The man's skin was fairly tan and he had both dark hair and eyes.  
  
Cali's hand hovered above the handle of one of the knives. She continued to stare at the man, her eyes narrowed to slits. He smiled and took a step toward her. Cali quickly unsheathed the long blade, holding it in front of her. The man chuckled as he proceeded to make his way closer to her. She raised the knife higher and demanded, "Who are you? And how do you know my name?"  
  
The man ceased laughing and stopped a few feet in front of Cali. He bowed. "My name is Alden. How I know your name does not matter. It is time to learn of you place beside my lord's side." The stranger named Alden took another step closer and using the palm of his calloused hand, pushed Cali's blade to the side. "Although, I didn't expect you to be here so soon But you being here alone has just made my job so much easier. Thank you."  
  
Thoroughly ticked off and a bit scared Cali swung her knife up to Alden's neck, the tip resting against the base of his throat. "Leave," she growled. "Or I won't hesitate to run this through your neck. And believe me when I say at the moment I have no qualms about killing you." Alden's smile faded and he frowned. He grabbed the hand that held the knife and forced it away form him. As he did so, she became dizzy a light flashed before her eyes.  
  
~Flashback~  
  
Cali crouched on a wooden platform high in the trees. She leaned over the edge and smiled when she spotted one of her brothers and some of the younger warriors standing below her. It seemed as if it was her brother's turn to train the younger members of the Guard. An older Elf stood to the side of the others. 'Oh hey! It's Lord Gil-galad! I wonder why he's here? Well, this is going to make things even more entertaining.' Cali reached to her side and grasped one of the water pouches. She had to peel apart several water-skins to make these. The thin skin was transparent and somewhat delicate. Perfect for throwing at people. Cali had filled many of these thin skins with water. She proudly called them 'water balls'.  
  
Holding a water ball over the edge of the platform Cali aimed, and released it. She watched with glee as the ball fell through the air heading for one of the warriors' heads. She frowned when it landed between two of them, but smiled when the water soaked their legs. Oh well; at least she got them partly wet. Besides, she had many more where that came from. She snatched another water ball and aimed when her brother's voice rang through the air.  
  
"CALI!!!!!" she heard him yell. "I know you're up there. Get down here right now!"  
  
Cali's smile returned and she shook her head. "No way! You'll have to come up here and get me yourself!" She then began throwing her balls at the Elves below her. Cali heard several yells as she continued her barrage. Once her ammunition depleted, Cali ran to the center of the platform and swiftly climbed down a rope ladder. When she reached the ground, the area was deserted. The ground was soaked though so she should have hit someone; she did hear yells. Satisfied she had tormented her brother enough, Cali decided to head back to the city. It was then someone tackled her, causing them both to fall to the muddy ground.  
  
"Thought you could get away with it didn't you?" the person asked, pinning her to the ground. Cali looked up and saw her brother crouching over her, his hands on her shoulders to keep her down.  
  
Cali grinned. "Awe, poor Orophin. Did you get wet?" She didn't need an answer. His blonde hair stuck to his face and his clothing was nicely soaked. Cali turned her head and saw the other warriors standing there; all wet in one way or another.  
  
"Orophin," a deep voice called out. Cali's brother climbed off her and helped her to stand. He then turned and bowed to the very wet, dark-haired Elf who spoke.  
  
"Lord Gil-galad, I apologize for what happened. My sister tends to find amusement in others' misfortunes."  
  
Cali glared at her brother. "Hey! It's not my fault I was bored. It was either torment you, or help Kyna embroider her new dress. And you know very well that I couldn't embroider something to save my life."  
  
At this remark, Orophin laughed. He walked to Cali and hugged her. "Forgive me seler, but you shouldn't take so much joy in tormenting us so. We never know what new act of torment you are creating in that mind of yours." Cali hugged him back and turned to the older Elf.  
  
"Please forgive me my Lord. I could not resist."  
  
Gil-galad smiled and walked up to the two siblings. "It is quite alright Milady. But may I inquire as to what those things were?"  
  
Cali's grin widened. "I proudly call them water balls. Come to our flet and I'll show you." She grabbed the Elf Lord's hand and him in the direction of the city, chatting all the way of her 'inventions'.  
  
~End Flashback~  
  
Cali blinked and shook her head. What was that? It almost seemed like a memory of some kind. But she couldn't dwell on it for long, she needed to get herself out of her present situation. As Cali wretched her arm out of Alden's grip, her bracelet flew off and brought the blade of her knife up toward his face. The edge of the knife sliced smoothly through the side of Alden's face, leaving a long gash. As he clutched his face and cried out in pain, Cali quickly sheathed her knife and heaved herself onto Astalder's back.  
  
She kicked his sides, and her horse leaped forward, running into the creatures which surrounded them. Cali heard them cry out as Astalder trampled some and leapt over others. Once she was clear, Cali nudged her horse off the path and into the trees. She looked behind her and saw a horde of the Orcs chasing after them. In hopes of losing them, Cali began to weave in and out of the trees and moved deeper into the forest. She couldn't believe this was happening to her. Maybe she should have just stayed back at the palace and got lost in one of the gardens or something. Or better yet, she could have stayed home and refuse to go to the fair and have nothing to do with it. Oh well. There might still be a chance of her finding her way out of the forest and getting home.  
  
Suddenly a mass of yells came at her from the front. Cali looked ahead and the color drained from her face. It was a black wall. A moving, yelling, black wall that was running straight toward her! The wall was made up of more of those Orc creatures, only these ones were larger and seemingly more dangerous. Cali turned Astalder sharply to the right. She looked back only to find the larger Orcs and the smaller ones gaining on her. It seemed as though no matter how fast she urged her horse to go, the creatures would continue to gain ground on her. Unexpectedly Astalder slid to a stop and reared up, throwing Cali to the ground. She landed on her back, her breath knocked out of her. Astalder continued to rear and prance around, but didn't bolt away; it was as if something was holding him back.  
  
When Cali caught her breath, she turned her head and saw Alden standing there, a wicked grin set upon his lips. Blood was still pouring from the wound she made on his face. Cali stood and faced him. "I will not run," she told herself. "I will not run. Running is for those who are weak and cowardly. And I will not be chased away by someone who thinks he can tell me what to do!"  
  
Alden grinned and suddenly disappeared. He reappeared behind her, and wrapping his arms around her, held her in place. Cali thrashed around, trying to make him lose his grip. But his hold on her did not relinquish. "There is no use trying to escape, Calithradë. Your destiny is with my Lord and you will learn your place."  
  
Cali continued to struggle. "Argh! Get off me!" she cried. "I'm not going anywhere with you!" She kicked her legs forward, attempting to throw Alden off balance. Cali thanked whatever Gods were watching over her as Alden stumbled and fell to the side, taking her with him. His hold over her loosened momentarily, but it was long enough for Cali to worm away. She jumped to her feet and quickly put distance between them. Alden stood and glared at her. With a loud cry, he lunged at her. Then suddenly was thrown back. He gripped his shoulder. An arrow was protruding out of it. Cali whirled around to see a tall man with straggly hair. He had a bow in one hand and was currently notching another arrow. The man walked toward Alden, keeping the arrow point at him.  
  
"Leave this place," he said in a low voice. "Or I will not think twice about shooting you again." Anger flaring from his eyes, Alden stood again and fled. The man who saved Cali lowered his bow and smiled gently at her. "Are you alright, my Lady?"  
  
Cali nodded. "Yes, thank you. Now if you will excuse me, I must go." She walked to her horse and stroked his neck, calming him. As Cali prepared to mount him, the man walked to her.  
  
"My Lady, I see that you have no escort. If you would allow me to accompany you to wherever you are going..."  
  
Cali shook her head. "No, that's alright. I'll be fine."  
  
The man shook his head. "Are you sure?" But before Cali could answer, Legolas and Déorwin arrived. They both leaped off their horses and ran to Cali.  
  
Legolas ran up to Cali and placed his hands on her shoulders, giving her a small shake. "What do you think you were doing?! This forest is filled with evil creatures and is too dangerous to travel alone. You could have been hurt, or worse killed!" he cried.  
  
Cali rolled her eyes and turned to the three males in front of her. "Evil creatures. You mean like being chase by a horde of those mutilate goblins? And then being cornered by some guy who wants to drag me off somewhere to marry his Lord?"  
  
"Exactly," said Legolas. Then he looked at her in confusion. "Wait. What Lord?"  
  
Cali shrugged. "No idea. This guy in a cloak kept rambling on how I am destined to be with his Lord. Whoever that is."  
  
"Do you know that this man's name is?" asked the dark-haired man who had saved her earlier.  
  
"Yeah. It was Alden. Do you know him?"  
  
The man shook his head. "No. But I know someone who might."  
  
"Who would that be?" asked Déorwin.  
  
Legolas smiled knowingly. "Gandalf," he said. "Gandalf will be at the festival, won't he Aragorn?"  
  
The stranger, Aragorn, nodded. "Yes. You are coming, right Legolas?"  
  
The Elf Prince smiled. "Of course. I would never miss a chance to see the others again." While the men were talking, Cali decided to take that moment of distraction and slip away without them noticing. She almost succeeded. Déorwin noticed her attempt to leave and before she could mount Astalder, he grabbed her shoulders and steered her back to where the others were. Cali scowled and crossed her arms over her chest. Déorwin laughed. Legolas laughed as well when he saw her expression. "Do not fret, Lady Cali. I'm sure you'll find another chance to escape soon enough. Just know that we'll always be right there behind you."  
  
Cali continued to scowl at them. "Then find a way for me to get home," she mumbled. The two Elves just shook their heads.  
  
Aragorn looked at Cali then at Legolas. "So Legolas. Are you ever going to introduce me to this lovely Lady who seems so intent on escaping our presence?" Cali rolled her eyes.  
  
Legolas placed a hand on Cali shoulder. "Aragorn, this is Lady Calithradë. We found her the day before yesterday alone in the forest. She was about to be attacked by an orc but Déorwin and I killed it before it could do any major damage. Cali, this is Aragorn, the King of Gondor." Cali nodded at him.  
  
Aragorn bowed to her. "It is a pleasure to meet you Lady Calithradë. Though I wish we could have met under better circumstances." Cali just scowled and tried to wiggle out of Déorwin's grasp with no success.  
  
"I believe it is time we return to the palace," said Déorwin. "I do not know about you two, but I do not want to be here when one of the spiders sees us and decides to make us its next meal."  
  
"I agree," said Legolas. "Aragorn, I do not suppose you have a horse with you, do you?" Aragorn nodded and whistled; moments later a tall brown horse with a black mane trotted into the clearing. "Ah, Brégo. Will he follow us?"  
  
Aragorn nodded again. "Yes, he will."  
  
"Good, then would you mind riding Lady Calithradë's horse? She will be riding with me on the return to the palace."  
  
Cali bristled as Déorwin handed her off to Legolas. "Hey! I don't know what you're thinking, but I can ride very well on my own thank you very much. I - "  
  
Legolas placed his hand on her lips, stopping her from talking. "I would let you Milady, but after your little stunt today there is not much that will let you out of mine or anyone else's sight. Besides, how do I know that you won't ride off on us?" Cali huffed as he led her toward his horse but refused to let him help her mount. He deftly climbed up behind her and waited for the others. Cali looked back to see Déorwin already mounted and Aragorn speaking softly to her horse, Astalder before he lifted himself onto the horse's back. As Aragorn rode up next to Legolas and Cali, Astalder nickered to his mistress and nudged her leg. She smiled softly and rubbed his nose. Legolas then slipped his arm around Cali's waist and they began their journey back to the palace. The moment his arms touched her, Cali felt the familiar dizziness she felt with the first flashback and the light once more flashed before her eyes.  
  
~Flashback~  
  
A young Calithradë frowned as her mother smoothed out non-existent wrinkles in her gown. She pushed her mother's hands away. "Stop it, I look fine."  
  
Her mother smiled and said, "Now Calithradë. I expect you to be on your best behavior. I would hate to have you embarrass our family in front of King Thranduil and his family. Now be good." With that said, Calithradë's mother lead her to where her brothers and father were waiting and they all entered the dining hall. Cali stared at the Mirkwood royal family as her family walked in. King Thranduil was as tall as her father. He had blonde hair hanging down the side of his face, like Lord Celeborn wore his, and had blue eyes. His wife, Lisandrei, had blonde hair as well. The King and Queen's children carried the same fashion of blonde hair and blue eyes. There were three of them, though she could not remember their names. She sighed as she sat between one of her brothers and the youngest Mirkwood Prince. Not wanting to be there she set her forehead on the table in front of her only to receive a sharp jab in her side from her brother.  
  
"Cali! Sit up!" he hissed under his breath. "And please try and refrain from doing something to embarrass mother and father."  
  
Calithradë glared at him but obliged and sat up. She glanced over at the Prince sitting beside her. He looked almost as bored as she did.  
  
"I take it you do not want to be here either," she heard him mutter to her. Calithradë shook her head. The young Elf nodded. "The feeling is mutual," he said.  
  
Calithradë sighed. She looked around to see her mother chatting with the Queen and her father discussing something with the King. She slumped in her chair not caring if someone saw her. This was going to be a long two weeks.  
  
~End Flashback~  
  
When Cali's mind came back to the present, she looked around her and realized they were already back in the palace courtyard. Several of the guards were there, as well as were Legolas's parents. Queen Lisandrei's face was covered in worry and King Thranduil just looked at her with a grim face. When the three riders stopped , Cali wriggled in Legolas's grasp wanting to get down. He dismounted and held out his hand to help her down as well.  
  
As Cali reluctantly allowed the Elf Prince to help her offer the horse, Lisandrei hurried over to them. "What happened?" she asked. "Are you alright Lady Cali? Leoglas, what happened?"  
  
Legolas sighed as he wrapped an arm around Cali's waist, holding her to him. She tried to remove it, but his arm stayed without moving. "Stay still," he quietly ordered her.  
  
Cali rolled her eyes. "Sure. But would you kindly remove your arm first?" she asked with annoyance.  
  
"No," he said simply and strained a smile at his mother. "Lady Cali is fine mother. No one was harmed."  
  
"Unless you call being hunted down fine and make an exception for the nice new gash on that guy's face," Cali muttered.  
  
"What does she mean, Leoglas?" asked Legolas's mother.  
  
At this Aragorn stepped up. "I was not the first one to find Lady Calithradë in the forest. There were several orcs patrolling the area. There was also a man apparently trying to take her somewhere. He had a fresh gash on the side of his face, which I assume is courtesy of Lady Cali. I then injured the man further and he fled. Lady Cali was trying to do the same when Legolas and Déorwin arrived."  
  
Now having to wrap both his arms around Cali's waist to prevent her from moving, he said, "I will explain everything further later. Right now I want to get Lady Cali to her chambers so she may rest. Dorath," he said to one of the guards. "Would you escort King Aragorn to some guest chambers?" The guard nodded and led the King of Gondor into the palace. "Mother, Father, Déorwin, I will see you all shortly." With that he drug Cali inside.  
  
"Would you let me go!" Cali protested as Legolas took back to her chambers. "I promise I won't run."  
  
Legolas shook his head. "A few hours ago I would have believed you. But now.?" he left the question hanging. Cali pouted the rest of the way. Once they entered her chambers, Legolas deposited her on her bed. "Now I expect you to stay here and not run off again. I was serious that you could have been killed my Lady. I will come by later to check on you." He slipped through the doors just as Cali lunged at him. Leoglas leaned against the now closed doors and grimaced as he listened to Cali bang on the door, demanding he let her out. He signaled a few nearby guards. "Stay here and watch these doors. Make sure no one comes out and no one goes in until I return."  
  
"Yes your highness," the guards said and took stances next to the door.  
  
Legolas then located a few other guards and instructed them to keep an eye on Cali's balcony. "She might try escaping that way again," he told them. After seeing to it that Cali would have no way to escape, he made his way to his father's study.  
  
---------------------------------  
  
Cali glared at the door from the bed. "This .... sucks." She looked over at her computer sitting on the small desk where she had left it and briefly wondered if she should bother checking it, but decided against it. She went back to glaring at the door, willing it to turn to ash so she could get out. Cali had already tried the balcony but had to back off when she saw the three guards underneath it. And the doors to the chamber were locked and she had no doubt there were guards on the other side as well. "Like I said before. This .... sucks."  
  
~~~~~~~  
  
A/N: Oh man, I am so sorry this took so long. Part of it was computer programs. I was almost done with the two new chapters and the major editing was almost done as well. But when I was transfering some work from my mother's computer to mine, something happened and it was all lost. Thankfully I was able to find the vast majority of my work in the recycle bin and I hadn't yet thrown out the work I had written down on paper. Then to top it all off, I had a major case of writer's block. But I am finally done. Once again I aplogize for the long delay. So I hope you all enjoyed the new chapters!  
  
Read and review!!! Please?  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 


	8. Confessions

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Chapter seven:  Confessions 

Leoglas stalked into his father's study and threw himself into a nearby chair.  He crossed his arms over his chest and stared with annoyance into the air.

Déorwin, who sat in a chair next to the King, looked at Thranduil and shrugged his shoulders.  "Are you alright, Legolas?" he asked.

At this the Prince of Mirkwood stood, grabbed a round paperweight from his father's desk, and chucked it out an open window.  After pacing the room several times, he fell back into his chair and said, "I do not understand."

"Understand who, Legolas?" Thranduil asked.

Legolas stood and began pacing again.  "Lady Cali.  She is so … so, I do not think there is a word in our language to describe her.  When we first found her, she was timid and terrified to think that our kind existed.  Even more so to think she was one.  Which I can almost understand because she claimed to have been raised by humans and had just been attacked by an orc.  But then it doesn't make any sense for her to have been raised by humans since we can tell she is older than the twenty years she says to be.  And how can she not know about our kind and orcs with the war with Sauron having just ended.  Then yesterday she runs off while Déorwin and I were showing her the city.  And now she had declined to have the morning meal with us and this time ran off into the forest where she again was attacked by orcs.  If it had not been for Estel, she would have been killed or taken by that human.  So if she wanted to find a way home so much, then she should have come to us for we would have gladly helped her.  I mean, she seems so-"

"Legolas," interrupted Déorwin.  "You are starting to babble.  Get to your point.  And stop pacing, you are making me dizzy."  

Legolas sighed and sat in his chair again.  He didn't say anything, only turning his head and staring out a window.  

Thranduil looked at Déorwin silently.  The dark haired Elf nodded and left the room leaving father and son alone.  The King stood and pulled his chair over to Legolas so he was sitting in front of him.  "My son," he said.  Legolas looked at his father.  "What troubles you so about Lady Calithradë?  From what I have seen of her, she only wishes to go home to the people she knows."

Legolas ran his hand through his hair and sighed.  "I have no idea, _ada_.  Ever since she arrived here, all I have wanted to do is keep her safe.  Something inside of me keeps telling me that she is precious and must be kept safe.  I do not understand.  I have never felt this way about a female before, nor have I ever planned to!  I am not sure whether I should love this feeling, or hate it."  Legolas sighed again and buried his face in his hands.

Thranduil smiled knowingly and placed his hand on Legolas's shoulder.  "Do not worry Legolas.  This is a normal feeling for when someone is attracted to another."

At this Legolas's head snapped up.  "I am NOT attracted to her!"  Thranduil looked at his son disbelievingly.  "Alright," Legolas admitted.  "I admit Lady Cali is pleasant to look at, but I am not attracted to her in that way!  So do not even think it!"  He crossed his arms over his chest and once again stared out the window.  Several moments of silence he spoke again.  "How exactly are we going to keep her from running off once we begin out journey to Rivendell?"

"I'll talk to her.  Why do you not go find Estel?" said Thranduil.  He stood and left Legolas sitting in the chair.  The King of Mirkwood walked down the hallways slowly, thinking of how he would talk to the she-Elf.  Soon he found himself in front of her chamber doors.  Two guards were standing in front of them, alert.  They acknowledged their King and stepped to the side.  As he was about to knock, a soft voice came from behind.

"If you are going to try and talk to her, I do not think you would be the best choice."

Thranduil turned to see his wife, Lisandrei standing behind him, a small smile on her pink lips.  "And why do you say that, my love?  Do you think you would fair better than I?"

"Of course," she said confidently.  When her husband looked at her with a blank face, she cleared up her statement.  "I am a female, and a mother.  Because of this fact, Lady Calithradë will probably feel more comfortable talking with me than you.  You are a male, and would have a hard time fully understanding what she is going through and feeling.  You should know women are naturally easier to talk to."

"And how would you know this?"

Lisandrei shrugged.  "Just ask our three sons.  They came to me more often with their problems than they did with you."  She then walked to the door and said over her shoulder, "Why don't you go get things ready for our journey?  I'll take care of the girl."  With that Lisandrei knocked on the door and entered the chamber.

----------------------------------------------------

The afternoon sun filtered through the window and found Cali spread across the bed, her headphones over her ears.  She silently sang along as she wondered what in the seven hells she did to deserve this.  Shortly after Legolas locked her in the room, a servant had been allowed in, bringing her a tray of food.  Cali picked at the food but otherwise left it alone.  Besides another servant appearing to take the old tray and leave a fresh one, no one had bothered her.

Cali sighed.  "Maybe this place is real," she said aloud to herself.  "The details are too, detailed to be from a dream and time is … well, time seems to be flowing at the pace it should be.  Details, there are too may details."  She threw her arm over her eyes and groaned.  "Who am I kidding?  This can't be real.  There are no such things as Elves.  They don't exist.  Only in fairytales."  She sat up and stared at the closed door.  "The only other explanation then, is that this is a dream.  Or a very bizarre nightmare."  She fell back down on the bed and allowed her mind to wonder.

Ever since the encounter with Alden, Cali had been having little snippets of visions, similar to the first two she had, though not as intense.  They almost seemed like memories.  Most of them consisted of her and three male Elves.  Haldir, Orophin, and Rúmil were their names, according to the visions.  They seemed to have some kind of family relation to her.  She remembered that in her first two visions, they were referred to as her brothers.  At the thought of the second vision, Cali bolted up.

_'Thranduil.  The names Thranduil and Lisandrei were said.  And Mirkwood.  Mirkwood was mentioned as well.  Those are the names of Legolas's parents, and when I first awoke here yesterday, they told me I was in Mirkwood.  Right.  So there has to be some connection between those visions and this "dream" I'm in.  But I have never heard of someone having a dream within a dream.  Is that even poss – argh!'_  Cali took off her headphones and rubbed her temples.  "This is so confusing.  I'm not sure what to believe anymore."

Suddenly there was a knock on the door, causing Cali's head to snap up.  She quickly looked around for a place to stuff her headphones, but before she could hide them under the pillow, Queen Lisandrei walked in.  She smiled softly and raised a brow when she saw Cali's hand hovering in front of the pillow, headphones and CD player in her grasp.  She refrained from saying anything.  Cali smiled back weakly and placed the diskman before her on the bed.  She sat up straight and watched Lisandrei pull a chair up next to the bed.  

"Good afternoon, Lady Calithradë.  How are you?" she asked as she bowed slightly.

"Uh, good afternoon your Highness.  I'm fine, but please, there's no need to call me Lady; just call me Cali.  Whenever someone calls me by my full name, I always think I'm in trouble again.  Which in this case, I guess I kind of am."  Cali said this last part quietly and hung her head a bit.

Lisandrei shook her head when she heard what Cali said.  Better hearing was one the of perks of being an Elf.  "Why, are you in trouble often back home?"

"Uh…."

"You are not in trouble, Cali," she said.  "We are all just concerned for you.  Though after your little stunt today I can understand why my son is so intent on keeping you in one place.  Our forest is full of many dangers.  Even our most experienced warriors do not venture out far alone."  Cali hung her head even further.  Lisandrei reached forward and tilted Cali's head so she could see her face.  "But I do not think he should have locked you in here.  Do not fret.  We will help you find your way home.  But you must promise me that you will never go off again on your own without an escort or without telling us."

Cali smiled at Legolas's mother and said, "I promise."  She then saw her eyeing the diskman.  She handed it to her.  "It's called a cd player.  It plays music," she said as she watched her examine the device.

"Music?" she asked disbelievingly.  Cali took the headphones and gently placed them over Lisandrei's ears; she pressed play.  She laughed silently as the Elf Queen jumped, eyes wide.  After a few moments she pulled the headphones off and stared at the diskman.  "What magic is this?  I've never seen anything like this before.  Nor have I ever seen this type of metal.  What is it?"

_'Hmmm.  Twenty-first century meets third-world …… world,'_ Cali though with amusement.  "Well, it's not magic.  It runs on electricity.  As for what it's made out of; it's something the people where I come from call plastic.  I think that's what it's made out of anyway."

"Electricity?  Plastic?"

_'Crud.  I don't think I should have told her that.  Oh well.  Might as well sustain and quench the fire than leaving it to grow.'_  Cali bit her bottom lip and furrowed her eyebrows together.  She would have to tell her everything.  "If I tell you something, do you promise not to let it leave this room?"  _'I need to tell someone the truth.  Someone has to know.'_

"Yes, of course," said Lisandrei.  She placed the CD player back on the bed.

"Yesterday, when I was explaining how I got here, I wasn't telling the whole truth."

"So you lied to us?"

"No, no!  Well, yes, sort of.  But most of what I said was true!  Only, the real reason I was separated from my escort was because I didn't have one.  And-" Cali paused and placed her head in her hands. "Oh man.  I don't know where to begin."

"Why don't you start at the beginning.  Say, when these humans found you," Lisandrei suggested.

She nodded.  "Alright.  Like I said yesterday, I have no idea who my real parents are.  The couple that raised me found me on a bed of moss in the forest near Shirebury when I was an infant.  The only thing I had with me was this pendant which I assume is from my real parents."  Cali touched the white stone hanging around her neck.  "I've always known my adoptive parents were a bit scared of me because of my ears.  That, and I never acted like any of the other girls in the area.  I was a loner and was constantly getting into fights with the local boys……"  Cali proceeded to tell Lisandrei about her life, leaving nothing out.  More than once she saw the Queen's face show confusion when Cali mentioned something from her world.  She told her about the fair and the old man who bought her the weapons and gave her the black ring.  Cali explained about the urging to go into the forest, the mist, thunder, and then her son and companion saving her from the orc.  Cali then told Lisandrei what happened when she ran off that morning, and the visions she'd been having since then.

"I don't know what to think anymore," Cali said.  "My mind and everything that's logical tells me that I'm dreaming.  But something else whispers that this is real.  And the visions now seem more like memories than anything else."

Throughout the entire time, Lisandrei was silent.  She looked at the young she-Elf sitting on the bed.  Her head was back in her hands; she seemed so confused, if not a bit frightened.  She was in a place and world she did not know and maybe did not remember.  Lisandrei stood and sat next to Cali.  She placed her hand on Cali's back and rubbed it soothingly.  "Do not fear Cali.  Once we get to Rivendell, Elrond and Mithrandir will help us sort this out.  Although I can not convince you that our world is real, I may have an answer regarding your true parentage."  Cali lifted her head and looked at the Elf Queen.  "May I see your pendant?" she asked.

Cali took it off her neck and handed it to her.  "Do you know what that other language is on it?  I only knew what my real name was because it is on the pendant in English.  But I could never figure out the other one.  I assume it says my name as well."

Lisandrei turned the stone over in her hands.  "What is English?" she asked.

Cali raised an eyebrow.  "Uh, it's the language we're speaking right now."

"Ah," she said.  "Here we call this speech 'common'."

"Oh," said Cali.  "So what can you tell me about the pendant?"

"This other language," said Lisandrei, "is the high Elven language.  It says, 'Calithradë, daughter of Lord Elric and Lady Ambriel'."

"Are those the names of my parents?"

"Yes. Tell me Cali, have others talked to you as if they know you?"  Cali nodded.  The Elven Queen took a breath.  "Lord Elric and Lady Ambriel have four children; three sons and a daughter who is their youngest.  When each was born their father had a pendant made for them.  Twenty years ago their youngest child suddenly disappeared.  According to their eldest, Haldir, she just vanished.  No one knows what happened."

"Haldir," Cali whispered.  "What was their daughter's name?"

Lisandrei handed the pendant back to Cali, who slipped it back around her neck.  "Her name was Calithradë."

Cali stared at her hands.  "So you're saying I am their daughter.  But if I am, then why don't I remember my life here?"

"I do not know, my child.  I do not know."

Cali bit her lip and fingered her pendant as she thought.  As she though two visions, or memories, flashed before her eyes.

_~Flashback~_

_An Elven woman with light brown hair held her arms out to a young elfling.  The child had light brown hair like the woman, only with some blonde streaks.  As Elven man was kneeling behind the child, helping it to balance on its feet.  _

_"Come Calithradë.  Come to Naneth," the woman said._

_The child took a step away from her father.  He smiled with pride as his daughter slowly made her way to her mother.  When Calithradë reached her mother's arms, she picked her up and hugged Calithradë in delight.  Calithradë's father stood, walked over to his child and wife, and held them in his arms.  After a few moments, the male Elf reached into a pouch at his side and brought out a white stone pendant on a thin silver chain.  He slipped it over Calithradë's head and kissed her forehead lovingly._

_~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~_

_"Absolutely not," said her brother.  "Mother and Father would kill me."_

_"Please Haldir?" begged Calithradë.  "I'm tired of sitting at home and doing nothing!"_

_"What do you mean you have nothing to do?" asked Orophin.  "There are many other Elfings for you to play with.  And what about Kyna?  I thought you were friends with her."_

_"Well, yes but all she wants to do is sew and talk about what kind of Elf she wishes to marry.  And besides, every time I try to talk to them, they act as though what I am saying will scar them for life."_

_Rúmil shook his head.  "Cali, what did you tell them?"_

_"Um, last time I was telling them about the last band of Orcs and Uru-kai you guys ran into."_

_Haldir rolled his eyes.  "Why am I not surprised?" he muttered.  "The answer is still no, Cali."_

_Calithradë frowned.  She grumbled under her breath then her eyes suddenly lit up.  "How about this.  If I promise not to prank you three or anyone else for a couple of weeks, would you give me just a few archery lessons?"_

_Her three brothers looked at each other.  Haldir then looked down at his younger sister and said, "Alright Cali.  But you as well have to cease wearing your tunics and leggings during the three weeks as well.  Can you do that?"_

_The she–Elf bit her lip and after a moment nodded her head.  "Yes."_

_The three Elves looked surprised but nodded.  They picked up their bows and motioned for her to follow them.  Rumil wrapped an arm around his sister.  "Come little seler.  You have much to learn."_

_~End Flashback~_

Cali shook her head and released the hold he had on her pendant.  She looked up when Lisandrei placed her hand on her shoulder.

"Are you alright Cali?" she asked.

"I think so," said Cali.  "I just had a couple visions, or memories is what I guess I should call them now."

"What did you see?"

"I think I saw my parents.  I was really young and they were teaching me how to walk.  Then my father gave me my pendant.  I also saw my … brothers.  They were – heh heh – showing me how to shoot an arrow after I had promised not to prank them for a month."  Cali ran her hand through her hair and sighed.  "So much of this just doesn't make sense."  She looked at Lisandrei.  "Do you really think this Elrond and Mithrandir can help me?"

Lisandrei wrapped her arms around Cali in a mother-like embrace.  "They may be the only ones who can.  And with any luck, Lady Galadriel will be there as well to help."  

Cali nodded.  These next few weeks were going to be interesting.

------------------------------------------

A short time later Lisandrei wondered outside to the training fields to find her son sparring with Aragorn and Déorwin.  It was Legolas against the other two and from the looks of it, it seemed as though neither side was winning.  Lisandrei lightly cleared her throat to gain their attention.  The three warriors ceased sparring; Déorwin and Aragorn bowed while Legolas smiled and went over to embrace his mother.

"What brings you out here, Naneth?" he asked.

Lisandrei smiled back at her son.  "Exactly how long do plan on having Lady Cali locked in that room?"

Legolas looked at the balcony above them and said, "Most likely until we depart for Rivendell."

"Do you not think that is a bit excessive, Legolas?" his mother asked.  

The Elven Prince shook his head.  "If we allow her to roam around she will most likely try to run off again.  And no, have someone at her side at all times will just make her more determined to leave."

Lisandrei shook her head in return.  "Legolas, I talked with her.  She has promised not to go anywhere without telling us or without an escort.  Go talk to her and clear up whatever it is between you two."

"There is nothing between us," said Legolas his voice rising slightly.  "And she was probably just saying that to deceive you.  Cali will run the first chance she gets."

"LEGOLAS!" yelled Lisandrei startling the three warriors and causing Legolas's eyes to widen.  "You will NOT speak of Lady Cali in such a way in my presence again!  It is not her fault.  She is terribly confused at this moment and doesn't know what to think about us, or anything surrounding her.  Everything that was normal to her is in a place beyond our lands where she cannot get to.  And now she has been told we believe her to be the lost daughter of Elric and Ambriel." Her voice softened as she finished speaking.

Leoglas bowed his head.  "Forgive me mother.  I will not speak of Lady Cali in such a way again."  With that, Legolas turned and walked away.

Aragorn raised an eyebrow in the direction the Prince of Mirkwood left.  "Has he always been this way regarding females?" he asked the other two Elves.

"No, never," replied Déorwin.  "Legolas usually just ignores them and tries to avoid contact."

"My son has always been a gentlemen when dealing with the females of our people," said Lisandrei.  "Granted he has never tried to form a relationship with one, he was always courteous."

"Well," Aragorn.  "It seems as though one has finally caught Legolas's eye.  He just does not want to admit it."

Déorwin smiled and nodded.  "I understand what you mean.  Yesterday eve as Legolas and I were sparring, he saw Lady Cali above in her chamber balcony."  He pointed to the balcony over-looking the training fields.  "Legolas saw her and was distracted long enough for me to knock him off his feet."

Aragorn balked at Déorwin's statement.  "For as long as I have known him, nothing has ever been able to distract Legolas whether he was in a battle or a friendly spar.  I know for a fact Legolas prides himself on his focus during a fight."

Lisandrei sighed and smiled lightly.  "Do not let Shálen and Arlen discover this.  They would tease Legolas and Lady Cali unmercifully if they were to hear something could affect their younger brother like that."

"And if they discover this, then they would undoubtedly tell my brother.  Then we would have two sets of twins on our hands with the ability to blackmail," said Aragorn.

"I agree Estel.  Well I must take my leave now.  Good day."  Déorwin and Aragorn bowed as the Elven Queen left the fields.

"Well, shall we go track down Legolas before he does something stupid around Lady Cali?" asked Déorwin.

"We shall," answered Aragorn.

---------------------------------------------------

Cali was lounging on the balcony railing reading when she heard the door to the chamber open.  She looked over to see Legolas; his face was emotionless and his body stood rigid.  Cali didn't say anything to him and went back to her book.

"I am here only to inform you that you are no longer confined to this room.  You may wonder the grounds as you wish.  Good day Milady."  Legolas turned and left the room quickly, closing the door behind him roughly.  As the door closed, Cali grabbed a piece of fruit from a bowl near her side and flung it across the room at the door.  The fruit bounded off the bed and rolled to a stop a few inches from the door.

"Stupid fruit," she muttered.  Cali sighed and slid off the railing.  She walked up to the fruit and picking it up, rolled it around in her hands.  She headed back to the balcony and looked over the grounds.  Cali saw a group of Elves in the archery area and a few over near the stables.  She looked down at the fruit in her hands and then back out at the grounds.  What she saw caused a devious smile to form on her lips.  There, not too far away, was Prince Legolas.  He was sitting on a stone bench doing something; she could not tell.  Cali fingered the fruit and contemplated on whether or not he was within throwing distance.

_'NO, that wouldn't be right.  Not to mention mean,'_ she told herself.

_~But amusing,~_ her mind said back.

_'It would probably make him very mad and I would get into a lot of trouble.'_

_~So?  It would serve him right for locking you in here.~_

Cali shook her head and set the fruit back in its bowl.  _'Doesn't matter.  It still wouldn't be right._

_~Spoiled sport.~_  Cali sighed and climbed back onto the railing.  She picked up her book and continued to read.  She hadn't gone more than a few pages when she set the book down in annoyance.  What was with the guilty feeling?  She hadn't done anything wrong; she only tried to find a way home and resisted the urge to throw something at the Prince.  Okay, she probably shouldn't have climbed down the balcony.  But how else was she to avoid being seen?

She ribbed her eyes then looked across the room at the desk where her laptop sat.  She should check to see if her message made it to Sida.  Cali walked up to the desk and turned the portable computer on.  When the starting programs were finished, she brought up her e-mail account.  Sure enough, there was a message from Sida.

Cali,

            Thank the goddess you're alright. We were worried you had been hurt, or worse.  Don't worry about you not knowing where you are.  We can get Cora's father to track the signal the satellite in your computer gives off.  Anyway, Ryan wants to know if you know anything about a ring with a black stone.  Ryan said he found it in a clearing near some hoof prints in the forest.  Also, what's the deal with that old man who bought you those weapons?  Who is he?

            ~Sida~

Oh right, the satellite.  She'd forgotten the computer had one.  No wonder she had Net access without being plugged in to a wall connection.  That certainly cleared a few things up.  Now the only question was how in the world the satellite was even working if she was supposedly in another world entirely.  Cali then decided against thinking on it any further; she didn't want to confuse herself anymore than she already was.

Returning her focus to the computer screen, she typed out a reply to her friends and sent it.  She shut the machine down and went over to the bed to grab her shoes.  Maybe she would go visit Astalder and give him some much-needed attention.

----------------------------------------------

Alden stepped cautiously into the cavern.  The side of his face throbbed and stung from where the she-Elf cut him.

"So did you find the One?" a voice asked.

"Yes my Lord."

An ancient looking man rose from a stone chair and walked to a basin atop a stone pedestal.  He peered into it and said, "Then she was in the designated place?"

"No my Lord.  She was not."

The old man stared at Alden and raised an eyebrow in suspicion.  "How could you have found her if she was not in the designated place?  And what happened to your face?"

Alden looked down and breathed deeply.  "I do not know how she did it.  But the One somehow found a way to escape the world in which she was sent to.  I found her in the forest of King Thranduil of the Northern Mirkwood Elves."  He gestured to the gash on his face.  "Apparently someone has taught her fighting skills for she fought back and managed to injure me.  She ran but when I caught her the Gondorian King, Aragorn, arrived and defeated me.  Forgive me for failing my lord.  I shall not the next time."

The old man sighed and clenched his fists.  "So she has found her way back and now has the protection of the Elves."  He looked at Alden.  "The eve of the Faradome is ever coming closer.  Contact your brethren; do not use the orcs.  They will raise too much suspicion.  If you must kill every Elf in that forest to get to her, then so be it.  But I want you to bring her here to me no matter what the cost.  Nothing, will stop me from raising Melkor to his rightful place.  Now go, and bring her to me."

"Yes my Lord," said Alden.  He turned on his heel and walked out of the cavern to gather his men.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A/N:  Well, here's the next chapter.  I hope you all enjoy it.

Nextime:  Cali journeys with Legolas and his family to Rivendell.  What awaits them on the long road there?


	9. Beginnings of a long road

A/N:  Hello everyone.  I'm sorry for the long delay.  But I've had to deal with a severe case of writer's block, and college is being a pain in the butt.  Especially when you're having to deal with a writing class that more like a literature and social class than a writing class.  Who here thinks I should boycott the class???  lol  Anyway, here's the new chapter and I hope y'all like it. 

(Oh, and one more thing….some of the previous chapters have been edited and new content added.  You're not required to reread those chapters again, but just know that if something in this chapter or future chapters confuses you, then you can know that information wasn't left out and you can just skim the earlier chapter to get the info.  Happy reading!!)

**Chapter eight:  Beginnings of a long road**

Cali watched in bored amusement as servants and stable hands rushed around, getting the horses ready for the journey.  She sat atop the wooden fence railing of the arena, swinging her legs.  Turning her head, Cali looked into the arena to see Astalder trotting around.  He generally stayed away from the other horses, but was composed when the other horses mingled around him.  Cali smiled when her mount trotted over to her.  Astalder nickered and bumped Cali's shoulder, earning him a pat on the neck.

"You ready for another journey boy?" she asked him.  He tossed his head and pawed the ground.  "Yeah, everything is confusing huh?  I can't wait to get home either."  Cali continued to sit on the fence, stroking Astalder's neck and watching the servants until one approached her sometime later.

The servant bowed.  "Milady, Queen Lisandrei requests your presence in the gardens."  Cali nodded and jumped off the fence after stroking her horse's neck once more.  She quickly became lost in her thoughts as she made her way to the gardens.

Over the course of the last few days, besides staying out of Legolas's path, Cali and Queen Lisandrei had met in the gardens to talk.  Cali had talked about growing up in her world and as many details as she could remember about her memory flashes.  In return, the Queen spoke of Cali's family and the place in which she was raised: Lothlorien.  She also spoke of the wars with Sauron.  It seemed that the last war with this Dark Lord ended not more than three years ago, and apparently her son, Legolas, was a part of the group of warriors who fought Sauron's armies.  Cali continued to think as she walked until her foot hit a loose stone in the path causing her to fall forward.

"Oomph," she grunted as she had twisted in the air and landed on her side.  She coughed hard a couple times then rolled onto her back and took some deep breaths.  When Cali regulated her breathing again after having it knocked out of her, she lifted her head and glared at the offending rock.  She then rolled onto her knees and stood.  As Cali brushed the dirt of her she muttered, "Well that was utterly graceful."

"Yes, it certainly was," said a voice in front of her.

Cali's head snapped up allowing her to see who was speaking.  It was the Queen.  Cali smiled.  "Sorry I wasn't there a bit sooner, but a particular rock and I were having issues which need to be worked out."

"Issues?" asked the Queen.

Cali nodded.  Bending over she picked up the rock.  "Yeah, we were deciding who had more power over who."  She then threw the rock into some bushes.  "Ha!  I win," she said with a triumphant grin.

Lisandrei shook her head in amusement and beckoned Cali to follow her. The two Elven women walked for a time when they came upon a stone bench where they both sat. 

"So what did you want to talk to me about?" Cali asked.

"I wished to speak to you of what would be happening once we arrive in Rivendell."  Lisandrei paused and Cali waited for her to continue.  "We have received a reply from Lord Elrond and he has confirmed that your family will be in attendance at the festival."

"Do they know I'm here?"

"No, not yet."

Cali bit her lip.  "How do you think they'll react to seeing me?"

"I do not think I can put into words the joy they will feel when they see you again," said Lisandrei.

"Oh," Cali said.  She hesitated before speaking again.  "Will I get a chance to settle in when we get there, or will I be meeting my parents right off the back?"  The Elven Queen looked at Cali in confusion.  "Um, the moment we arrive in Riverdale," Cali supplied. 

"Rivendell," Lisandrei corrected her.  "And it shall be up to you on how soon you meet them."  Cali nodded and as usual began to fiddle with her pendant.  "I have a feeling you are nervous about meeting you family then?"

The younger Elf swallowed and sighed.  "Yeah, I am.  I just wish I could remember then more clearly.  Even with all the flashbacks I've been having, I could never truly see their faces clearly.  Their voices, yeah, just not their faces."  Cali paused.  She then frowned saying, "This seriously bites, and why did it have to happen to me?!"

Before Lisandrei could answer though, Thranduil appeared in the garden and walked up to the two females.  "Forgive me for interrupting your conversation my Ladies," he said.  "But it is time to leave."

Cali and Lisandrei stood and both followed Thranduil out of the gardens.  He led them to the stables where several Elves were already mounted on their horses.  Cali saw one of the servants holding Astalder's reins and walked over to him.  Before mounting Cali checked her saddle bags to make sure she had everything.  She had packed her own bags earlier that day since she refused to let anyone else to it for her.  She couldn't allow any chance of her computer or diskman being damaged.  Cali looked over at the servant and asked, "Um, where are the weapons that were with this tack?"

"Prince Legolas has them," the servant said as he bowed. 

Cali nodded and swung herself up into the saddle.  For the journey to Rivendell Cali had opted to wear an outfit similar to the mens' instead of a traveling dress like the Queen.  Of course Nadia protested loudly of Cali's choice saying it was not proper for a woman to wear such attire; it reminded Cali of her mother.  Her adoptive mother anyway.  She still disliked dresses with a passion though.  Lightly pressing her leg on Astalder's side, Cali moved him in a circle as she looked for Legolas.  There.  He was on his horse talking to Déorwin and Aragorn; her weapons seemed to be divided among the three of them.  Cali clicked her tongue, asking Astalder to move and went over to the Elves.

"Hello Cali," said Déorwin warmly.  "How are you this day?"

Cali shrugged.  "Peachy," she said simply, earning some confused looks.  She turned her attention to the Prince.  "I believe you have some things of mine your Highness."  Cali gestured to her sword strapped to his saddle.  "I would like to have them back."

Legolas inclined his head slightly.  "That I do.  You shall have them returned to you when we reach Rivendell.  You have no need of them until then."

Bristling with anger but not in the mood the pick a fight with him, knowing right away she would loose, Cali growled and sharply turned Astalder around, trotting away.  She hadn't gone very far when suddenly Lady Anya and her 'groupies', as Cali had begun to call them, rode into Cali's path.  She rolled her eyes.  _'I don't need this,'_ she thought to herself.  _'What in the world does she have against me?  I haven't done anything to her.'_  Although Anya didn't out-right express her dislike of Cali, she tried to make it clear that she thought Cali didn't belong there and needed to go back to wherever she came from.  And actually, Anya hardly ever said a word to Cali and generally avoided her; something which Cali was grateful for.

"May I help you with something, Lady Anya?" Cali asked.

"What were you and the Prince discussing over there?" Anya asked back, faking an innocence in her voice.

"We were admitting our undying love or one another," Cali retorted.  She smiled to herself when she saw the anger and jeleously surged across the female Elf's eyes.  Cali's inner smile broadened as Anya struggled for words.

"Oh……oh really?"

Cali couldn't believe it.  Anya actually believed her.  She pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed.  "No seriously Lady Anya.  Prince Legolas has my weapons and he won't give them back to me until we get to Rivendell; so I'm really ticked off at him at the moment."  Anya didn't say anything.  "Listen Lady Anya," said Cali impatiently.  "I have no interest whatsoever in your Prince.  You can have him."  She then moved past the females to wait near Lisandrei.

---------------------------------------

Anya watched with narrowed eyes as Cali rode over to the Queen. 

Elanor smiled at Anya.  "See, it is like I told you Anya.  Lady Cali does not want him.  You are free to woo the Prince now."

"Yes," replied Anya.  "But I will never truly have Prince Legolas while she is here.  She is a distraction to him."

Elanor thought for amomet.  "Maybe if you get her interested in someone from Rivendell and they fall in love, then it is possible she will stay there with him."

"I do not think that will work," said another one of the females.

"What do you mean?" asked Elanor.

"If Lady Cali has not expressed even the barest hint of attraction to the Prince, then I doubt she will find interest in someone in Rivendell.  Your only option is to hope that her parents drag her back to Lothlorien with them."

Anya continued to glare across the way at Cali.  "No," she said with a low voice.  "Just having her in Lothlorien would not be enough."  Her voice dropped even lower and her eyes darkened.  "Calithradë must be taken to a place further than that; she must be removed."  She pulled the reins on her horse, turning it away from the group, and walked away from them.

Elanor stared after Anya, worry etching into her Elven features.  "I knew Anya had feelings for Prince Legolas, but I was not aware the feelings ran this deep.  I now fear for Lady Cali's safety."

The other Elf who spoke, Maeril, bit her lip.  "What do you think she will do?"

"I do not know, Maeril."

"She should be safe though.  Lady Cali always has at least two guards with her.  Or she is in the company of the King and Queen.  So she is safe, right?"

Elanor glanced over at Cali who was talking with the Queen.  "We shall pray to the Valar that she will be."

---------------------------------------

The first day's journey was an uneventful one.  Cali rode next to Queen Lisandrei most of the time and other times she rode alone.  She used that time to ponder on her situation like she did like she did every day; Cali still half believed she was dreaming.  Part of her wanted this to be real though.  These people looked like her and they seemed to genuinely accept her.  Well, except Anya; for some reason that Elf didn't like her.  _'She probably just thinks I'm moving in on her territory,'_ Cali thought.  And yes, there were others as well who found Cali to be a bit strange.  _'And that's only because they've never met someone like me before.  I don't act like a lady, and I refuse to wear dresses.  Totally opposite of most of the females around here.'_

Another reason for Cali's reluctance was this place called Middle-earth.  It was beautiful, at least, from what she had seen of it so far.  Living in a place such as this was something Cali had always dreamed of.  This was her paradise.  The only drawback was the lack of electricity and such.  What would she do then, if she were stuck here.  Cali laughed softly at the thought.

"What are you laughing about, my Lady?" asked Déorwin who suddenly appeared beside her.

Cali inwardly cringed at the term 'Lady', but turned to the Elf and forced a smile upon her lips.  "It was nothing.  Just a thought I had."

Déorwin nodded and moved his gaze above him to the darkening sky.  "The sun is setting; we should be stopping for the night soon."

"Good," said Cali as she shifted in her saddle.  "My butt is getting a bit tired."  Although she wasn't looking at him, she could feel Déorwin wince at her use of language.

Déorwin opened his mouth to say something when he was stopped by one of the guards calling his name.

"Déorwin!" the guard called, motioning for the Elf beside her to get up there.

"I will see you later Cali," he said and rode ahead.

Cali waved good-bye and then proceeded to watch the passing scenery.

Later that evening when everyone was eating the evening meal, Cali as found sitting under a tree, watching everyone.  She was amazed.  Even when just put to the simple task of eating or laying sleeping mats, they moved with such grace.  It was unreal.  One would _have_ to be part of a fairytale race to own that much grace.  Cali found it amusing that while these Elves claimed she was one of them, she did _not_ have their grace.  She couldn't even curtsy without fumbling.

Suddenly a light wind blew and Cali instinctively pulled her cloak, the one Anya had given her, around her eventhough she could not feel the wind's chill.  She looked up then as one of the female Elves in who was journeying with them, walking up and handed her a small bowl of warm soup.  Cali nodded her thanks and slowly ate it.  The soup was made from various vegetables and meats and it warmed her body. 

Soon, the sun had gone and the only light came from the fire which illuminated the camp.  Cali had been prepared to go to sleep when a hand touched her shoulder.  Her eyes snapped open and looked at the hand's owner.  It was Anya.  Cali sat up and brushed some hair from her face.  "May I help you with something?" she asked with irritation.

Anya smiled.  "I wish to talk to you about something."

Cali nodded.  "Okay.  Talk."

The other Elf shook her head.  "Not here.  Walk with me for a bit."

Standing and walking over her saddle bags, Cali reached in and searched them.  A minute later, she pulled her hand out and frowned.  "Damn, he took my other knives as well," she muttered. 

"What did you say?" Anya asked coming up to Cali's side.

"Oh, nothing.  So, shouldn't we be taking one of the guards or guys with us, or at least have them follow us?  You know, an escort?" Cali asked.

Anya shook her head again.  "Tis not that far.  We will be fine."

Cali shrugged as she followed Anya.  "Okay, whatever you say.  But if we get in trouble, I'm blaming it on you."  The two Elves walked into the forest outside of the camp; their way lit by a single lantern carried by Anya.  After walking a ways, Cali stopped.

"Okay," she said.  "We're stopping here before we go any further and end up lost or as some creature's dinner."  She folded her arms.  "Now what did you want to talk to me about that couldn't be said around the others?" As Anya turned to face Cali, her gaze flicked over Cali's shoulder at the trees behind her.  Wondering what she saw, Cali looked over her shoulder to see what was there.  Her eyes scanned the area; there was nothing there, but something about the area made Cali uneasy.  Someone was there; she could feel it.  Looking back at Anya, she said, "Come on, spit it out Anya; I don't have all night and I want to get back to camp.  Something about this place makes me uneasy."

The edge of Anya's red lips quirked and her eyes seemed to darken.  At least, they seemed to.  Cali couldn't see her face clearly and figured it was just from the flickering light of the lantern.

"I wanted to apologize," Anya began.

"Apologize for what?" asked Cali.

"For the way I have been treating you since you arrived in Mirkwood.  Forgive me for asuuming you would try to make Prince Legolas fall in love with you."

Cali was taken aback.  _'How she treated me?  All she did was ignore me.  And what about the Prince?'_  "Why in the world would I want the Prince to fall in love with **me**?  You and every other female in Mirkwood are the ones who are in love with him.  I want nothing to do with Legolas."

Anya ignored her.  "But you must understand.  Prince Legolas had been about to court me before you arrived.  I was a bit … troubled when he spent all his time with you."

Cali couldn't believe it.  It was clear that this girl was insanely in love with the Elven Prince.  She shook her head and was about to reach for the lantern which Anya hld so she could hurry back to the camp before someone noticed she was gone, she felt a movement behind her.  Cali spun around; her eyes widened and she stepped back, bumping into Anya.  The dark figures in front of her advanced.

"Anya," she whispered, slowly stepping around the other Elf.  "We need to get out of here … now."  The figures continued to move forward.  Not wanting to wait until the figures reached them, Cali grabbed Anya's arm and dragged her away as she ran.  Cali and Anya ran in what Cali hoped was the direction of the camp.  "What possessed you to drag us this far in?!" she yelled at Anya as they moved in and out of the trees.  Anya didn't answer; she just allowed Cali to lead her.  They jumped over fallen logs and splashed through a small stream as they ran, but seemed to be nowhere nearer the camp. 

Suddenly Anya's arm was torn from Cali's grip causing her to be jerked backwards from the sudden change of direction.  Cali turned to see what happened just as a ball of light was thrown in her direction.  She ducked and the light flew over her head.  When she stood to run again, something collided with the back of her head and her world went black.

----------------------------

Anya stood and brushed the loose dirt from her dress as she watched Cali crumple to the ground when the man smashed the hilt of his sword against her head.  She rubbed her upper arm and glared at the man beside her.  "You did not have to pull so hard, _edan_ (human)," she sneered. 

Alden sneered back and moved to where Cali lay on the ground.  He knelt down to examine the back of her head.  Satisfied she was not severely injured, Alden muttered a spell to keep the Elf in her unconscious state.  He motioned to one of his men whom lifted Cali into his arms.

"Bind her and place her on one of the horses," he commanded.  Alden stalked back to where Anya stood impatiently.  "Why are you still here?  Your part is finished," he growled.  "Should you not be heading back to your precious Prince, she-Elf?"

The female Elf huffed and folded her arms.  "I want your word she will not remember anything that had happened since she arrived here.  I also want your word she that shall not escape from wherever it is you are taking her."

Alden smirked.  "My my, you really are jealous of this girl.  You must love your Prince deeply to go to all this trouble of getting rid of her," he said mockingly.

"Of course I love Legolas," retorted Anya.  "Now I want your word!"

"Fine, you have my word," replied Alden, a scowl replacing his smirk.  "Now why do you not go back to your Prince and make sure no one follows us."

Arrogantly, Anya stuck her nose into the air, flipped some stray hair over her shoulder, and stalked away from the group of men. 

Alden rolled his eyes as he made his way to his horse.  He mounted and called to his men, "We need to move quickly to avoid meeting any of the Elves should they attempt to get the girl back."  With a swift kick to their horse's sides, the group rode away.

Anya cautiously crept back into the camp and tried to make it back to her sleeping area when she was stopped by one of the guards who was on the night watch.  She looked at the guard with wide eyes.  Did he know something?  Did he see Cali leave with her but not return?  The guards peered into the forest from where Anya had emerged; her heartbeat quickened as he looked back at her.

"You should not be walking about alone my Lady," he said softly.  "There is a danger near us.  It is not safe to be wondering without an escort."

Softly releasing the breath she had been unconciously holding, Anya nodded.  As the Elven guard walked off, Anya sighed in relief.  No one yet realized Cali was gone.  Anya the walked quietly to her sleeping area near her companions.  She laid down on her sleeping mat, pulling the blanket over her shouders.  She closed her eyes and as she allowed sleep to take over, a single thought brought a smile to her face.  _'Perfect.  Everything is perfect.'_ 


	10. Important Notice!

Hello everyone,

I'm sorry that it's been so long since I've updated this thing. I have not forgotten, nor have I lost interest in it. A while ago I was reading through the story, and realized that it was not going the direction I had origianlly intended for it. I realized that I had turned Cali into a Mary-sue. She was too perfect, and you could tell that Legolas fell for her the instant he saw her. I wanted Cali to be like a normal human, to have some flaws despite her Elvish heritage.

So for a while, I took a break from the story to refresh my mind and hopefully get some inspiration for it. And lately I've been thinking about it; I have some ideas that I want to work into the story, and I'm getting an idea of how I want it to go…I may change the main plot, I'm not sure yet…but my main concern is getting Cali's character right and have the story be a original as possible even though many others have done what I'm doing…having a girl find out she's an elf, then have to go to middle earth where she meets Legolas and they fall in love.

I sincerely hope that my story turns out well, and that you all enjoy it when it is all done and finished. Well, I best get back to staring at my computer screen and willing myself to write something. Take care you all, and happy readings!

Raydias


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